Dog Tails
by A. M. Brossart
Summary: Ikuko, a self-involved and inconsiderate Konoha teen, is about to be taught a very important lesson ... and it comes at a very furry price. Little by little, Ikuko begins to unravel the harsh reality of her seemingly perfect life and realizes the only person she can rely on is her worst enemy. Will she learn her lesson? Or will she forever remain man's best friend?
1. The Princess and the Fleabag

**Okay, so I was rereading this story since it's been a really long time since I've looked at it, and I realized the beginning is just way too short. Granted, this is supposed to be a sweet, simple story, but I feel like the beginning was really rushed. There's some really important relationship dynamics that weren't explored to their full potential, so I've decided to rewrite the story.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Princess and the Fleabag <strong>

_Today is going to be a good day_, I thought as I stood in front of my mirror, brushing my long auburn hair until it shimmered and felt like silk in my hand. I had been growing it out since I could remember. Mother liked it best long; she said women were supposed to have long, beautiful hair. When I was younger, she used to brush my hair for me, and when she hit a snag, she would tear through it so hard that I thought my scalp would rip off. I cried once, and Mother scolded me right away, said I had no business crying. Sometimes perfection required pain. I never cried again.

My hairbrush slipped from my fingers when I heard her voice boom and echo off the walls. She was downstairs, screaming out the front door, "Keep your filthy hounds away from my house! I saw them sniffing around! ... If it happens again, I'll call Animal Control. Don't think I won't!" and then she slammed the door shut.

I picked up my hairbrush and set it back down on my dresser; then I stepped back, smoothed out my light blue dress, and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. "Today is going to be a good day."

Downstairs, I found Mother sitting at the kitchen table, stirring a cup of coffee with her spoon, her third cup of the morning—and she would have at least two more. With her free hand, she slowly rubbed her temple with her fingers. She looked tired ... and angry. I tried my best to keep quiet as I went to the fridge for my lunch.

Again, the fridge was empty. Yesterday, Mother said she would go to the market, but she must have forgotten. I knew better than to ask her about it, not today. It was okay, though. I didn't need to eat lunch today.

"What are you still doing here?" she eventually asked and took a sip of her coffee. "Don't you have school or something?"

I closed the fridge and turned around. "I was just leaving."

"Then go already." She set down her cup and some of the dark brown liquid splashed onto the table, but she made no attempt to clean it.

"I'm starting my third year today," I went on. "I'm wearing my new dress, too, the one Father bought me special. I didn't let it get wrinkled, just like you told me."

Without answering, she stood up from the table and walked right past me. I turned around and watched her go upstairs. She probably hadn't heard me. I had a habit of mumbling sometimes, so she probably hadn't heard me.

"I'm leaving!" I announced loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to annoy her; then I grabbed my schoolbag and walked out the door.

Konoha was terrible place, Mother always said. The villagers were horrible people, lowlifes, and far beneath us. I often heard her talking to her friends about the other women, saying they were plain and ugly, downright stupid too. I saw some of those ugly, plain women as I walked down the road. They didn't look stupid to me, but they probably were if Mother said they were. She knew a lot of things about people because she was very observant, and she didn't work, so she had a lot of time to watch people. She liked to watch people, it seemed, and talk about them too. Every day, she and her friends would sit around the kitchen and talk about the other villagers—mean things mostly, but they must have been true because Mother wouldn't lie.

My best friend Yuzu had a stupid mother too, but Yuzu wasn't stupid, just quiet and plain, very plain. She stumbled out of her shabby house, tripping over the hem of her dark pink dress, a hand-me-down from her older sister. Her ashy brown hair came down in tangled strands to her chin, and her bangs stuck out at weird angles like she'd slept on it. She tried to comb out her hair with her fingers, but it wasn't helping.

Still, despite her disheveled and awkward appearance, she wore a warm smile on her face and greeted me just as politely as the first day we met.

"Good morning, Iku-chan," she said, bowing her head deeply. "Thank you for waiting for me."

"You're almost ten minutes late," I replied flatly. "It's rude to make your friend wait, you know."

She blushed. "Sorry, Youji took a long time to ..."

Youji, Yuzu's twin brother, bounced out of the house on one leg while trying to pull on his other shoe. His baggy red shirt had a tear, as did his blue shorts, and from his mouth hung a piece of half-eaten toast. When he saw me, he gave a quick wave, slammed his bare foot into his shoe, and then sped off down the road.

Yuzu and I walked to school together, as we had every day since our first year at the Academy. She always stayed a few steps behind me, letting me take the lead, and I determined the pace of our walk and the subject of our conversation. She didn't talk much, except to agree with me, and that was preferred. She never had anything interesting to say, anyway.

Along the way, we stumbled across several of our classmates. Shikamaru was still rubbing his eyes when he emerged from his house, mumbling something about how troublesome it was to get up so early, and the gluttonous Chōji joined him soon after, a bag of chips clutched in his fat hand. We hurried along before they saw us. I didn't want to be seen in the company of such people.

We saw Ino too. She was just leaving her house when we crossed paths. She wore her blonde hair parted to one side and clipped back with a blue flower clip, the same blue flower clip I'd worn just last week.

_That's just like her,_ I thought as we shared brief glare and parted ways. _She has no style of her own, so she has to copy mine!_

I wanted to rip that clip out of her hair just like I'd done last year when she dared to wear the same red ribbon as me, but I was already running late. Next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.

The Academy was just within sight when the first warning bell began to toll. I saw Sasuke among the children heading toward the main gate, and unless my eyes had deceived me, he looked even cuter than the last time I'd seen him, which was just a few days ago. Just like then, he was too busy thinking his deep, brooding thoughts to notice me, but this year was going to be different; this year I was going to get that prized seat next to him in class, and then he would have to talk to me. I would make him talk to me.

"This is my year, Yuzu," I said. "I'm going to kiss Sasuke this year."

I waited for her response, but it never came, and when I turned around to look at her, I realized she wasn't listening to me. She wasn't even looking at me. Instead, she was staring off with this dazed look on her face, like she was trapped in a genjutsu. I followed her gaze to the main gate, where Shino, suspiciously hidden behind his signature high-collared jacket, was slinking through the entrance.

When the gate closed, I shuddered. "He's so creepy."

"Hmm?" Yuzu blinked her eyes a few times, the trance finally broken. "Did you say something?"

My jaw dropped. "What? I've been talking this whole time! You're supposed to listen when I talk, Yuzu. That's what best friends do! ... Instead you're staring at creepy bug-boy."

"He's really not that creepy," she started to say, but I quickly cut her off.

"It doesn't matter. Not even your rudeness can ruin this day. Today is going to be a good day." I inhaled deeply and took a confident step forward. "Today, I will win Sasuke's heart!"

And then the fleabag came barreling by like a rabid dog and slammed right into me, knocking me off balance, and I tumbled to the ground. When he realized what he'd done, Kiba turned around in mid-run and shouted a quick apology over his shoulder. As if that made everything okay! My dress, my beautiful, special dress, was ruined; the bottom was covered in so much dirt I couldn't even tell what color it was anymore.

_That jerk! _I thought as I watched him run away._ Just wait 'til my father hears about this!_

Suddenly, I felt something warm, rough, and wet on my knee, and when I looked down, I saw Akamaru in front of me, gently licking away the blood and dirt from my scraped knee. Once he sensed my gaze, the white furball looked up at me and barked cheerfully.

"Get away from me, you filthy mutt," I spat, pushing him away, but the puppy held his ground and just kept staring. "I said, go! Get out of here! Leave me alone!"

Akamaru stayed until Kiba called him; then he gave another loud bark and ran off. I watched the two pass through the gate just as the second warning bell sounded, ... and then I saw that pig-haired Sakura making her way toward the gate. I could tell just from her style of dress that she intended to compete for Sasuke's heart as well. I couldn't let her win!

"Ikuko, are you alright?" Yuzu asked as she knelt next to me and tried to dust off my dress, but I didn't have time for that. I had to reach Sasuke before Sakura could get to him.

Scrambling to my feet, I pushed Yuzu away and made a mad dash for the gate.

"Ikuko!" Yuzu called. "Ikuko, wait!"

I came to a stop just outside the classroom and leaned against the wall for a few seconds to compose myself. _In ... _I took a deep breath_ ..._ _and out. _Then I brushed off my dress, wiped away the drying blood, and combed out all the small tangles in my hair.

When I finally felt confident with my appearance, I stepped through the entrance, and once I did, I wanted to rip out my hair and stomp it into the ground. She was sitting next to him—my Sasuke—the boy of my dreams!

_She may have won the battle, but she's gonna lose the war! _

I clenched my fists and marched up the ascending levels of desks until I found a free seat. As I passed Sakura, who was busy staring adoringly at my future husband, I gave a hard flick to her unnaturally wide forehead.

"Hey!" Sakura shouted. "That hurt, Ikuko!"

I shrugged. "Sorry, but your forehead is too large a target to miss." Then I threw her a devilish smile and continued on my way.

_Ha! Take that!_

There were only a few available seats left: one next to creepy Shino, one next to style-stealing Ino, one next to the weird kid with the runny nose ... and one all the way at the top next to Kiba and his mutt. As I weighed my options, I watched Kiba play with Akamaru, who was sitting right on the desk and spreading his dog germs everywhere. Yuck! I couldn't understand why Iruka-sensei allowed him to bring that smelly hound to class. Wasn't that a health violation or something? What if he bit someone? That little beast had no business in a place of learning.

I was just about to take my chances with the snot-faced kid when I realized the seat next to Kiba had a perfect view of Sasuke—well, the back of his head, but that was still better than any of the other seats, so I temporarily put aside my anger for the fleabag and sat down next to him.

Yuzu entered the classroom just before the bell rang. The back of her dress was caked with dirt and both her elbows were scraped, but she seemed to forget about all that when she noticed the empty spot next to Shino.

I shook my head in disapproval. _She's hopeless._

"Hey, Ikuko," Kiba said, "I'm sorry I knocked you down. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

_Sasuke's so cute! _I let out a dreamy sigh and cradled my chin in my hands as I watched him. _I wonder if he's thinking about me ... _I blushed at the thought. _Of course he is!_

I spent the entire morning watching Sasuke while Iruka-sensei rambled on about silly, less important topics. Occasionally, Sakura would pathetically try to get Sasuke's attention, like when she _accidentally _flung her pencil across the desk, but he never looked her way, not once. I couldn't help but giggle at her failure. It was so sad. Not everyone was as fortunate as me.

Sadly, all my good luck momentarily ran out when lunchtime came around. Turns out, I wasn't going to be able to skip lunch like I'd thought. My stomach was growling so loud, and it hurt so much, and the smell of everyone else's food was just making it worse. Groaning, I laid my head on the desk and wrapped my arms tightly around my aching stomach.

"What's wrong, Ikuko?" Kiba asked as he gnawed on a piece of jerky. "Did you forget your lunch?"

The smell of his food drifted into my nostrils and made me sick with hunger. I could smell rice and mouthwatering beef, and the sound of his chewing was driving me insane.

"I have an extra rice ball," he said. "You can have it if you want."

Despite my hunger, I rose to a sitting position and proudly raised my chin. "I don't eat dog food."

His eyes narrowed, and he grumbled back, "I was just trying to be nice."

"If you want be nice, then consider taking some lessons in table manners ... and take a bath every once in a while." I plugged my nose with my fingers. "You smell worse than your dog."

Growling, he clenched the edge of the desk and his nails elongated into sharp claws, but he didn't say anything. Then, out of nowhere, Chōji turned around and held out an open bag of chips. "Want a chip, Ikuko?"

Kiba waved him away. "Don't bother, Chōji. Princess doesn't eat common food." He shot me a smirk and tore off another piece of jerky with his teeth, chewing much louder than necessary. "Mmmmm ... _so good_."

_I hope you choke._

Once lunchtime finally passed, Iruka-sensei resumed his boring lecture. As he droned on, my thoughts began to drift far away, and suddenly Sasuke was up from his seat and coming toward me. Startled, I scooted all the way back in my chair, my heart racing. He leaned over the desk and brought his face real close to mine, his onyx eyes burning with unrivaled passion.

"You're so cute," he said in a deep, sultry voice that made me shiver. "I can't resist you anymore. I have to kiss you."

I shyly lowered my gaze, my cheeks burning. "Right now? But we're in class."

"Yes. Now." His fingers found my chin, and he slowly drew my lips to his. "Ikuko ..."

"Sasuke-kun," I muttered, letting my eyelids fall.

And then my stomach growled again.

When I opened my eyes, Sasuke was back in his seat, leaving my lips still unkissed.

_Stupid stomach! _I thought as I viciously pulled and twisted at my noisy belly.

Giving a quiet groan of defeat, I threw my hand back onto the desk and felt a strange wetness on my finger. "Gross!" I screamed, roughly pushing away Kiba's snoring face. "You're drooling all over me!"

The fleabag woke with a jump and started muttering incoherently to himself. "What?—What's going on?—What's ...?" He looked at me with tired eyes. "What is it, Ikuko?"

"Keep your germs away from me!" I warned. "It's bad enough I have to sit next to you. Now I have to have you drooling all over me, too?"

Iruka-sensei stopped his lecture and scolded me. "Ikuko, you're disrupting class."

"But my personal space has been invaded by his germs!" I protested, standing up from my seat. "My health could be at risk! He could have rabies for all we know, with all those mutts his family keeps!"

"That's enough! Another word, and I'll keep you after class."

"But!"

"I'll see you after class," he calmly said before returning to his lecture.

My cheeks flushed as my fists began shaking with anger and embarrassment. Staying after class? Me? I never got in trouble; I didn't even know what trouble was; that was something for lowlifes and delinquents, not a sophisticated girl like me. It wasn't even my fault, anyway—it was that stupid fleabag, Kiba!

I could hear the jerk snickering as I returned to my seat, and when I threw him a menacing glare, his lips curled into a cocky smirk. I wanted to punch him in the face and bash his face against the desk until his mouth bled and his teeth started popping out of his gums, but that was beneath me. I couldn't trouble myself with such lesser folk.

When school was over, the only students left in the classroom were Naruto, Shikamaru, Chōji, Kiba, and me. I was stuck in detention with the four delinquents who were being punished for skipping class the day before. To put me at the same level as them—the nerve of Iruka-sensei!

"Stay here," Iruka-sensei said as he got up from his desk and started toward the door. "I'll be right back."

I sunk into my seat and folded my arms over my chest. "This is ridiculous."

"Princess can't handle the punishment?" Kiba teased.

I was just about to yell at him when I noticed his annoying little dog sitting on the desk. Even though his eyes were closed, I knew he was staring at me, and it made me uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" I asked, glaring down at him. "You're just as bad as him!"

And then the beast flew at my face! He attacked me like some little monster from a horror movie, licking and slobbering all over my face—I even got some of it in my mouth. During my vicious assault, Kiba and his pack of misfits were laughing like a bunch of hyenas, and Kiba was by far the loudest.

"Akamaru, get off her," Kiba finally said in between laughs.

After a few more licks, Akamaru hopped off my face and went back his owner, who patted the beast's head proudly and said with a grin, "I think he likes you, Ikuko."

"The feeling isn't mutual!" I rose from the bench, gasping for air and furiously wiping the dog's saliva from my face. "Gross! I have its germs all over me!" I glared at Kiba. "You keep your mutt away from me!"

"He was just saying hello ..."

"I don't care what he was doing!" I yelled, moving away from my desk. "Just wait until my father hears about this! He's going to have that mutt exterminated!"

Holding Akamaru protectively in his arms, Kiba stood up, gave me a fierce glare and growled, "Don't you _ever_ threaten Akamaru!"

"Then keep him away from me!" I roared back before storming toward the classroom door. I'd had enough of this stupid school.

"Uh, Ikuko," Naruto said as I stomped past him, "where are you going? We're not supposed to leave the classroom."

"Who cares?" I yelled over my shoulder. "This school is a joke! Who wants to be a ninja, anyway? Soon, you'll all be working for me!" And with that, I walked out of the classroom and slammed the door shut behind me.

When I got home, I ran straight to the kitchen, where Mother was sitting with one of her friends. Drinking fresh tea, the two women lounged around, giggling and gossiping like they always did. By the time I reached them, they were discussing the disappearance of Kiba's father, saying his mother had scared him away with her temper or something. Since my news was far more important, I didn't even hesitate to interrupt their conversation.

"Mama, you'll never believe what happened to me," I said as I ran to her, tears beginning to form in my honey brown eyes. "I had to stay after class because that fleabag Kiba got me in trouble—and then his dog attacked me and—"

"Ikuko, can't you see I'm busy?" Her voice was almost as cold as her black eyes. "Now, go to your room."

Sniffling, I reached out my hand and grasped the sleeve of her blouse. "But, Mama ..."

She roughly ripped her arm away. "I said, go to your room!"

My stuttering lips fell quiet as I stepped back, eyes flickering back and forth between the two women's sneering faces. They were looking at me like I was some cockroach who had crept into the kitchen, like I was filthy and full of disease. Mother's eyes passed over my dirty blue dress, and she asked, "What did you do to your dress?"

"Kiba ran into me and ..."

"And you got it dirty? Is that how you show your appreciation for your father's expensive gift? _By getting it filthy?_"

"But it wasn't my fault," I tried to say. "I'll clean it myself. It'll be just like new again. I won't get it dirty again, I promise."

"No." She turned away and took a long sip of her tea. "Throw it in the garbage. If you can't be responsible with it, then you have no right to wear that dress."

My heart sank. Throw it away? This was the prettiest dress I'd ever worn, and she was telling me to throw it away because it got a little dirty? But that wasn't fair—it wasn't my fault! I was being responsible, I was!

"Yes, Mother," I muttered, and as I shuffled out of the kitchen and up the stairs, I could still hear the two of them talking.

"What an ungrateful child," her friend said.

"Oh, I know. After all I do, it's never enough ... How I envy you ... Be glad you don't have children."

After changing into fresh, clean clothes, I reluctantly carried my dirty dress outside to the trash can and pulled off the lid. But I couldn't throw it in, not yet. I hugged the dress tightly and pressed it to my cheek, savoring the warmth and softness of the fabric one last time. A single tear fell and darkened the little white butterfly.

"I wanted to have my first kiss in this dress ..."

Fighting back another tear, I threw the dress into the trash, slammed on the lid, and then ran back into the house.


	2. There's No I in Team

**Enjoy this chapter! I should have the next chapter finished soon. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: There's No "I" in "Team"<strong>

I waited up all night for Father to come home. For over six hours, I sat on the stairs waiting for him, and no matter how heavy my eyelids grew, I refused to let them fall, not once. It was well after midnight when he finally stumbled through the door, smelling of alcohol and women's perfume, ... and it wasn't Mother's floral scent.

He pushed the door closed with his back and then slumped against it as he pulled off his glasses and cleaned the lenses with his handkerchief. "I don't know," he murmured to himself. "I just don't know ... I don't know."

After putting his glasses back on, his tired eyes found me, and he pulled his lips into an awkward smile. "Hello, Ikuko." He lazily waved his index finger at me. "Don't stay up too late now."

He started coming toward the stairs then, and I rose to stop him.

"Father, I need to tell you something," I said, but he walked right by me, gently tousling my hair as he passed. "But I ..." Sighing, I gave up and sat back down on the step. "... I don't wanna be a ninja."

Father was a very busy man, with a very important job, but I wasn't quite sure what that was. I'd asked him about it once before, and he said he was an administrative adviser or something like that. All I knew for sure was that he worked a lot. I probably wouldn't see him again for another week, so it was crucial for me to speak to him about quitting the Academy before he left again. That's why I got up really early the next morning and ran downstairs to catch him while he ate his breakfast.

"Father, I don't wanna be a ninja," I said to him.

He kept his face hidden behind his newspaper. "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't. Really, I hate it. I hate my classes and my classmates. I hate everything about that school!"

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"No, I won't. Please, just let me quit."

Finally, he lowered his newspaper just far enough to look at me. His brown eyes were hard and unsympathetic. "Do you know how many strings I had to pull just to keep you in that class? They wanted to let you go this year. They said you weren't trying hard enough at your lessons. But you'll try harder from now on, won't you? And you'll graduate and make your parents proud?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but then I realized it was pointless. "Yes, I'll try harder, I promise."

"Good girl." After finishing his coffee, he folded up his newspaper, set it down on the table, and then walked out the door without so much as a goodbye.

So there it was. I had no choice but to stay in the Academy. It wasn't all bad, though, and eventually I came to realize the many rewards of a good, wholesome education.

First, there was Sasuke, who I had the pleasure of seeing almost every day. One time, I tried to eat lunch with him, but he just walked away. I didn't blame him, though; I too would've walked away if I had some weird girl gawking at me. Yuzu just couldn't take a hint.

Then there was Neji, who I sometimes saw on my way to and from class. Like Sasuke, Neji was stoic and mysterious, but with him came the thrill of liking an older, more mature boy. I'd once caught him meditating in the forest, but Yuzu's loud breathing started to annoy him, so he left. He had an amazing walk, though.

Because of my two great motivators, I graduated from the Academy at the age of twelve. Following my graduation, I often heard the younger Academy students whispering behind my back, saying that I didn't deserve to graduate, that my father had arranged it all. But what did they know? They were just bitter and jealous, so I paid them no mind.

Of course, I wanted to be placed on a team with Sasuke, as did every other girl in class, but Sakura somehow managed to cheat the system and steal him for herself. Instead, I got placed on a team with Yuzu and Youji, which was alright with me ... at least it was better than being stuck on a team with Chōji and Shikamaru, but Ino certainly deserved them.

Haruka-sensei, our jōnin leader, was certainly an odd one and, according to many, bipolar as well. Most of her emotional problems stemmed from her endless failures at love, but she never seemed to learn her lesson no matter how many times she got her heart broken. The vicious cycle never ended. She would be discussing wedding plans one minute and then cursing the entire race of men the next.

Once, she made Youji do pushups all morning because she got her heart broken by some ninja from another village. Another time, she forbade us from talking to Team Kakashi because the handsome jōnin cruelly rejected her after "leading her on for weeks." We still weren't allowed to talk to them, actually, but we did anyway. After all, how was I supposed to get Sasuke to love me if I couldn't talk to him?

"Iku-chan," Haruka-sensei asked as we sat together beneath the trees, "am I pretty?"

She gently pushed and pulled at her cheeks, desperately searching her pale skin for flaws. She should have been pulling at her nose, though; it was way too long, and pointy. And her ears were too big for her head. And her eyes were too close together. And her lips were too thin. Actually, she really wasn't that pretty at all, but I would only tell her that if I had a death wish.

"Of course," I lied. "You're beautiful."

"Then why won't Ryo make a move?" She pouted like a child, making her look even uglier. "He's been leading me on for two weeks now."

_Probably because you're desperate and annoying. _"Maybe he's not sure how you feel. You should make a move, confess your feelings."

She blushed deeply. "You think so? ... Maybe I should ... Yes, I will!"

Now, I thought she was going to wait until tonight or at least until we'd finished the mission, but no, she just couldn't wait apparently. Without another word, she got up and walked away, leaving us all alone in the forest.

"Well, that was unexpected." I turned my attention to my teammates, who were busy pulling weeds from Old Lady Fumiyo's garden, as was our mission. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Gee, I dunno ... What do you think?" Youji ripped a huge weed from the dirt and held it out to me, like it was supposed to mean something. "What do you think you should be doing, _Ikuko_?" He shook the weed and dirt flew everywhere.

"What?" I asked.

"This is a team mission," he said, "as in the_ team_ works _together_ to complete the mission—not two teammates work, while the other sits and watches!"

I stretched back against the tree trunk and folded my arms behind my head in relaxation. "I'm supervising."

"_Supervising?_" Youji threw the freshly-pulled weed to the ground in anger. "If Haruka-sensei was here, you'd—"

"Haruka-sensei left me in charge."

"She did not!"

"She did!"

"Guys, please stop fighting," Yuzu quietly pleaded. "If Haruka-sensei comes back and the mission isn't complete, she's gonna make us run again ..."

"Only if Mr. Wednesday rejects her," I pointed out. Then I remembered all the _missions_ we spent stalking him: writing him love letters, following him around the village, waiting outside his house, peeping through his windows. "... and he will."

She groaned. "I can't handle another run through the woods."

"Well, at least you ran," Youji said to her. "Ikuko quit about a quarter of the way through."

"I twisted my ankle," I defended.

"You did not! I saw you running after Sasuke later that day!"

I shrugged. "I'm a fast healer."

After ripping out another thick weed, Youji rose from the ground and started coming toward me with a smirk on his face and his right arm suspiciously tucked behind his back. "I think Ikuko's just afraid to get her pretty kimono dirty."

I stuck my chin in the air and turned away. "Am not. But this kimono _is _very expensive."

"Then why'd you wear it? A ninja shouldn't be wearing such a fancy kimono on a mission."

He was getting closer now, too close, and his smirk just kept growing, and that hidden arm continued to worry me. I knew he was up to no good.

Cautiously, I stood and slowly started backing away as he advanced. "Youji, what do you think you're doing?"

"Hmm?" Finally, he revealed the secret hidden behind is back. Inside his fist was a huge clump of dirt: brown, smelly, and disgusting, probably crawling with bugs, too. If that got on my beautiful kimono ...

"Youji, no!" I cried.

"What?" he replied innocently. "It's just a little dirt."

At the first twitch of his legs, I spun around and took off running. Youji was chasing after me, I knew he was, that jerk! But I wasn't going to let him catch me; I wasn't going to let him ruin my kimono.

Far behind me, I heard Yuzu's meek voice begging us to come back. Poor Yuzu, she was going to have to run again. But just as well, she deserved it for having such a sick, sadistic brother.

Through the woods I ran and ran, dodging trees left and right. It seemed Youji had given up his chase—he had a very short attention span, after all—but I just couldn't take any chances. I was going to keep running until I got safely home ... or until I saw Neji.

The handsome ninja was walking through the forest, alone as always, his dark brown hair gently blowing behind him. I had always admired his hair, so long and soft looking. Mother would definitely approve of him because he was so talented and handsome, the genius of the Hyūga clan. Yes, he would be mine. If only he would stop training enough to notice me.

Quietly, with all the stealth that a kunoichi should possess, I followed him deeper into the wood, slinking around trees and ducking behind bushes, always keeping a safe distance. He strode on, completely oblivious to my chase, and I crept closer and closer, growing bolder and bolder as my heart pounded with anticipation.

Safely hidden behind a tree, I stopped for just a moment to fantasize about the soon-to-develop passion between the handsome genius and me. I could picture him holding me in his strong arms, hugging me tightly, whispering sweet words into my ear ...

My cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, and I closed my eyes, getting lost in the dream. _Oh, Neji-kun ..._

Suddenly, I sensed a presence in front of me, and when I opened my eyes, I was most surprised to see the boy of my dreams right in front of me. Neji Hyūga, with his long, beautiful hair and snow white eyes, was standing over me, trapping me against the tree with his strong arms.

His face was so close, I could reach out and touch it with my fingers, or I could ...

I closed my eyes, gently puckered my lips, and leaned forward ...

"Leave me alone," I heard him say as his presence disappeared. When I opened my eyes again, he was walking away, taking my unclaimed first kiss with him. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought your team was on a mission."

_He remembered! _I thought happily, resisting the urge to squeal with delight. "It's just tending Old Lady Fumiyo's garden ..."

"You're a Konoha ninja. You serve the village. Every mission is important and should be taken seriously, no matter how small it is." Then he turned around and gave me a harsh, cold look. "People like you irritate me. You have no right to call yourself a ninja."

"Neji-kun ..." I muttered as I stared with wide eyes, watching him walk away. "... you finally talked to me!" Cheering, I bounced up and down and then threw my fist into the air and declared, "Objective 1: Complete!"

Still beaming from my victory, I met back up with my team at Old Lady Fumiyo's house. The short, wrinkly old lady was outside scolding the two of them, hollering about the horrible job they'd done. Before she saw me, I quickly ducked behind a nearby tree and watched the entire scene unfold.

"It's been almost two hours, and you're not even halfway done? Back in my day, young ninjas took their responsibilities seriously—they didn't slack off like lazy children! Where's my granddaughter? I want to tell her about the horrible students she's been stuck with."

"Haruka-sensei's not here," Yuzu said quietly.

"Where is she? No wonder nothing's getting done!"

That was my cue. Stepping out from behind the tree with my hands behind my back and my head held high, I approached the three of them. "Haruka-sensei got called on an emergency mission," I lied, "but she left me in charge." Then I turned to my teammates and hollered, "What are you doing sitting around? Get back to work!"

Old Lady Fumiyo smiled. "Well, it's nice to see somebody's taking this job seriously."

"We are Konoha ninja," I said. "Every mission is important and should be taken seriously, no matter how small it is."

"Well spoken. You'll become a fine ninja, indeed."

As I stood there beaming with pride, I could hear Youji muttering angrily under his breath, and Yuzu just shook her head. Sure, they were mad now, but they'd get over it eventually.

Once Old Lady Fumiyo went back inside, I returned to my lounging tree to relax while Yuzu and Youji finished the mission. And boy were they doing a great job! Those two were clearly built for hard labor, which was probably why their hands were always so filthy and calloused. They worked tirelessly through the afternoon, and only once did I catch Yuzu slacking. She had that dazed look on her face again, that distant look in her eye. It was because of Shino, that creepy bug-boy, who was collecting bugs nearby, as was his strange hobby.

Honestly, I had no idea why Yuzu was so obsessed with him. I mean, he had bugs living inside him! What girl would find that appealing? As Yuzu's best friend, it was my job to steer her away from the undesirables, and Shino was about as undesirable as it got, next to Kiba.

_I'll have to keep a close eye on her from now on_, I decided.

As we walked home together, Yuzu and Youji were oddly silent, like they were deliberately trying to ignore me, but I wasn't about to apologize or anything. After all, it wasn't my fault they weren't clever enough to avoid manual labor.

"Thanks for all your help, Ikuko," Youji bitterly spat. "You know, you should give us your share of the pay since you did nothing."

"I made sure you guys stayed on task. It's harder than it looks, you know. Besides, my back hurts now from sitting against that tree for so long."

Youji scoffed. "Whatever, Ikuko." Then he grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her along with him. "Come on, Yuzu, let's go home."

"But, Youji ..." Yuzu had a sorry look in her eyes but ultimately left with her brother, leaving me all alone.

_Well fine, then!_ I thought. _I don't mind walking home alone. _

Folding my arms across my chest, I continued down the road alone, ignoring everyone around me as they all walked and talked happily with their friends. I saw Team Asuma laughing and treating themselves to sweets after a successfully completed mission. Despite how much Ino openly complained about her teammates, they sure seemed to get along.

I rushed past them and continued on my way.

Then I saw a married couple going on a walk with their young daughter. Smiling and laughing, the couple swung their daughter along between them, higher and higher at the giggling child's request. For some reason, I felt sad watching them.

Sighing, I leaned against one of the shop buildings. _Did my parents ever do that with me? _I wondered. _They must have, ... but I can't remember._

While attempting to steal another glimpse of the happy family, I saw something that brought all my troubling thoughts to ease. Sasuke Uchiha was coming this way, and he was all alone, just like me. This was too great of an opportunity to pass up.

Quickly, before he could see me, I slipped into the alley and waited for the perfect time to strike. I had been planning this out for years: I would wait for him in the alley, and once he got close, I would casually step out and run into him, bringing about a fateful, unexpected meeting—only it wasn't fate; it was my genius plan! Then I would offer him lunch to apologize for the inconvenience, he would accept, and then we would fall in love. It was foolproof.

I peeked around the corner. He was getting closer. Grinning, I pulled back and then counted, "One, two, three!" and launched myself out of the alley.

Just as planned, our bodies collided and his arms went around me, tightly clutching me as we fell to the ground together. I landed right on top of him, with my face against his upper chest. Keeping my eyes closed, I deeply inhaled his scent; he smelled like sweet red bean paste, even better than I imagined he would.

_Sasuke-kun, you're so warm,_ I happily thought as I snuggled against him, and then I gazed up at his beautiful onyx eyes.

They weren't the dazzling onyx eyes of Sasuke Uchiha. Instead, they were the sharp, beastly eyes of the fleabag Inuzuka. Our wide eyes were drilling into each other, our noses were touching, and our lips were just centimeters away from each other. That mangy mutt lover had nearly stolen my first kiss!

"Kyaaaa!" I pushed away from him with all the strength I could muster.

Sitting on the ground, I furiously wiped my arms, my face, and my mouth especially, just in case any of his germs got on me. Then, to make things worse, Sasuke walked right past me, granting me not even the briefest glance. Kiba had spoiled everything!

The fleabag sat up as well and started dusting off his jacket. Next to him, Akamaru was busy licking the dango skewers that had slipped out of Kiba's hand when he fell. When the dog noticed me, he barked happily and made a run for me, but I pushed him away and then glared at Kiba.

"You ... Look what you did!" I shouted as I scrambled to my feet.

"_What I did?_" he yelled back. "You ran into me!"

I watched Sasuke walk away, his perfect form shrinking as the distance took him. I hung my head. I had missed my chance again.

"You're not even going to say you're sorry?" Kiba struggled to his feet. "Don't you have any manners at all?"

"You should be the one apologizing," I said. "I missed my chance with Sasuke because of you." I took a quick whiff of my kimono sleeve. "Now I smell like a dog. For your sake, it had better not linger in the fabric."

When I looked back at him, the fleabag was red-faced with anger, looking more like a dog than ever. I rolled my eyes and walked away, leaving him alone with his mutt and dirt-coated dango.

The sun was setting when I finally reached my house. I found Mother sprawled out on the living room couch with a drink dangling from her manicured fingers. The room reeked of alcohol.

Smearing her mascara with her free hand, Mother looked at me with sad, heavy-lidded eyes. "He's not coming home," she said. "He's never coming home again ... because of you ... This is all your fault, you ungrateful child."

The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. I stepped forward to clean it up, but she slapped my hand away and started yelling at me, telling me to leave, leave and never come back.

"Mom ..."

"Leave! Get out! I don't wanna look at you anymore!"

_She's just drunk,_ I told myself as I walked out the door. _She only said those things because she's drunk. Tomorrow, she'll be back to normal._

With the money I'd earned, I went to eat at Ramen Ichiraku. Honestly, I wasn't very fond of the place, mainly because I didn't like the atmosphere of ramen bars, but also because it served as the loitering grounds for Naruto and all his weird friends. Since I was on a low budget, I figured it would have to do.

By the time I arrived, there were only three people sitting at the bar. At the far end, Haruka-sensei was sobbing uncontrollably and stuffing her face with ramen. Mr. Wednesday had rejected her, as expected, so I knew it would be best to give her space. A few seats away from her sat Chōji, finishing what was probably his sixth bowl.

"Darn, I've come too late," I said as I approached the bar. "All the ramen's probably gone now."

Chōji had a hurt look on his face, but he didn't say anything to me. He was far too preoccupied with his food, probably. But the fleabag sitting next to him certainly didn't hold back.

"Why do you have to say things like that?" he said, glaring at me.

"This has nothing to do with you," I replied as I sat two seats away from him. "Stick to things you know, like fleas and ticks." Then I noticed Akamaru, who was lying on top of Kiba's head. The furball was staring right at me and wagging its tail. I turned away in disgust. "Get that thing a leash."

"Akamaru doesn't need a leash."

"He's a dog. Dogs need leashes."

"He's not just a dog. He's my partner."

Partner? Kiba considered that mutt his partner? What was wrong with his family, anyway? Mother said they kept tons of dogs at their house and even fought alongside them during missions, like they were equals or something. Dogs were dogs, animals. They weren't partners or companions.

"Why are you eating here anyway?" he eventually asked.

"Why do you care?"

"You act like you hate it, yet you come here almost every night. Doesn't your mom ever cook?"

No, I realized, Mother never cooked, not once. When I was young, she always brought home restaurant leftovers or pre-packaged meals from the market. As I got older, she stopped doing even that. Now, I ate only when I had the money to buy it myself, and yes, as Kiba had said, I ate at the ramen bar a lot.

As I pondered my situation, I noticed Kiba staring at me, and he had this strange look in his eyes, like he'd somehow heard everything I was thinking.

"That's sad," he said. "Even my mom cooks. It's not the best food, but it makes me feel loved, you know?"

I hated the look he was giving me. Did he really think his mother was better than mine? That my mother didn't love me just the same? I didn't need his pity. There was nothing wrong with my family.

"What do you know?" I spat, with venom in my voice. "At least my father didn't abandon me."

Immediately, a small part of me regretted saying that, but I couldn't take it back, and my pride certainly wouldn't let me.

Kiba's face was as hard as stone, but his eyes were burning with hatred, raw hatred, like he wanted to tear me apart with his claws, but he didn't. Instead, he just stood up and walked away. As he left, Akamaru was still staring at me from the top of Kiba's head, a sad stare, an accusing stare. Perhaps I had crossed the line with that remark.

"Well, he deserved it anyway," I muttered as my ramen arrived.

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><p><strong>Okay, I realize Ikuko is far from likeable (I don't particularly like her myself at this point), but I feel like she's a necessary character. Not everyone in the world is nice and sweet, right? But with Ikuko, it's more complicated than her just being a selfish brat. Clearly, she has issues, and eventually she'll have to deal with them. Anyway, thanks for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think!<br>**


	3. Beware the Bushy Eyebrows

**Thanks for reading! Here's chapter three!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Beware the Bushy Eyebrows<strong>

"Wow, he's so amazing."

"Just look at him. Have you ever seen anything so perfect?"

Nestled safely in our spying tree, Yuzu and I had the perfect view of Neji's training session. Although we'd watched him many times before, he never failed to amaze us. His movements were so fluid, like a dance. That boy could move his body in ways I never thought possible.

In the three passing years, Neji had matured into such a strong, handsome ninja. And his eyes ... Oh, his eyes were the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen, white like the moon in the night sky. We'd only spoken once, but it was the single greatest moment of my life, even though he'd scolded me for not taking my mission seriously. His voice was more beautiful than any song.

"Oh, Neji-kun ..." I sighed, leaning against the tree trunk.

Suddenly, my perfect view was obstructed by a most horrifying sight: two dark, bushy eyebrows, like a pair of fuzzy black caterpillars.

"Iku-chan!"

"Yaaaaaah!" I screamed as I jumped back, smacking into Yuzu, who then lost her balance, and we both crashed to the ground. Yuzu hit the dirt first, then I fell on top of her, and dark green leaves showered over us both like rain.

Lee was at my side in an instant, offering his hand to me. "I'm so sorry, Iku-chan. Please, forgive me!"

I took his hand, letting him pull me up from the ground, and then I helped Yuzu up, who was still a little shaken. I smiled down at her and brushed the leaves off her clothes. "Sorry, Yuzu."

She smiled back, rubbing her head. "It's okay."

Meanwhile, Lee was still standing in front of us, staring at us with his big, creepy eyes. "What were you doing up in a tree?" he eventually asked, confused.

We both froze, exchanging panicked glances as Lee's eyes started to become clouded with suspicion. I couldn't let him find out we were spying on Neji. What if he told him? How embarrassing!

"I know what you two were doing," he said, a smirk forming. Yuzu grasped my shoulder as we watched his mouth twitch, beginning to form those criminalizing words. "You guys were ... training, weren't you?"

"Ehhhh?" I nearly fell over, but I quickly recovered. "Yes! Yes, that's exactly what we were doing, weren't we, Yuzu?"

Yuzu just stared at Lee with a blank expression, so I gave her a shake to get her started. "Y-Y-Yeah, that's it!"

"Of course!" Lee exclaimed, taking my hands in his. "Oh, Iku-chan, you're such an amazing kunoichi—beautiful, smart, and talented!"

As he spoke, his eyes passed down my pale blue kimono blouse to my black shorts and fishnet tights, and a blush quickly spread across his cheeks.

Although I wished the compliments were coming from Neji's mouth, I appreciated them nonetheless. He might not have been the most attractive ninja in the village—not by a long shot—but he definitely knew the way to a woman's heart.

Just then, as if Fate had intervened, I heard Neji's deep, melodic voice as he approached us. I just about fainted from the sight of him. So close. I could almost touch him ...

"Lee, we're supposed to meet Tenten," he said.

"Right. I almost forgot."

Slowly, Neji's eyes flickered down to Lee's hands, which were still entangled with mine. I quickly pulled my hands away and smiled admirably at him. "Hello, Neji-kun."

He gave me a brief, uninterested glance before turning and leaving. He might as well have stabbed me in the chest.

"Goodbye, Iku-chan!" Lee called over his shoulder as he ran after Neji.

Letting out a deep, depressed sigh, I hung my head in defeat. _Why must he torture me so?_

When I finally looked over at Yuzu, I was most bothered to find her back on the ground. In her hand, she held a tiny black beetle, and she was looking at it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. The foul insect was crawling all over her hand, and she was just smiling!

"Yuzu, what are you doing?" I asked.

She glanced up at me. "Hmm? Nothing."

But I knew it wasn't nothing. "Yuzu, what did I tell you? Shino is no good for you. You can do better." _Not much_, I had to admit,_ but better._

"I know, but ..." Reluctantly, she put the beetle back on the ground and then stood up. "Sorry, Iku-chan."

I shook my head. "Oh, Yuzu, we're both cursed at love, aren't we? We're going to stay single for the rest of our lives, just like Haruka-sensei!" Just the thought made me want to cry.

Yuzu placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, Iku-chan. Let's go. I hear Sai's looking for girls to help him understand women better. Just last week, he told Sakura that she reminded him of a pig, and she just about killed him! He was just trying to compliment her hair color."

Just like that, my spirits were suddenly lifted. Sai was really handsome, and an amazing artist. One time, he said I was more beautiful than a blossoming rose. He had such a way with words despite his awkward manner. I pictured his handsome face, pale as the scrolls he painted on, and his eyes, as black as ink, staring lovingly into mine as he pulled me into his arms.

I blushed and grabbed Yuzu's arm, pulling her along with me. "Come on, Yuzu. We don't wanna keep Sai waiting!"

The handsome ninja was sitting alone on a bench when we finally stumbled across him, his nose stuck in one of his weird social etiquette books. He didn't even notice us standing in front of him, but that didn't stop us from sitting down next to him.

When he finally noticed us, he gave us a small but pleasant smile. "Matsubara-san, Takeda-san, I'm happy to see you both."

_Why so formal? _I thought but shrugged it off. "Hello, Sai-kun," I warmly greeted ... only to realize he'd returned to his book again. _A beautiful woman is sitting next to him, and all he cares about is his book?_

"Why did Haruno-san get mad when I told her she looked like a pig?" Sai eventually asked as he, Yuzu, and I sat together on the bench. I, of course, was in the middle, scooting closer and closer to him with every word he spoke. His nose was so deep in his book that he didn't even notice.

"Well, women don't like being compared to farm animals," I explained, leaning forward to try and get his attention. "We'd prefer to be compared to something pretty."

"Pigs are pretty."

"I guess," I replied with a shrug.

My response prompted Sai to glance up from his book, and he immediately noticed the close proximity we shared. He raised a curious eyebrow before flipping through his book once more, skimming through the text aloud.

"When a girl moves closer to you, it means ..." Sai's voice drifted off as he continued down the page; then he closed the book and leaned back against the bench, sitting in an awkward silence.

"Sai-kun ...?"

Slowly, cautiously, Sai's right arm floated up from his lap and went around my shoulders, gently pulling me closer to him. My face flushed as he turned toward me, his ink black eyes melting into my honey brown ones. It was just liked I'd imagined. Of course, I would've preferred to have been alone with him because it was a bit awkward with Yuzu sitting right next to me, but oh well, I'd make it up to her later.

With his other hand, Sai brushed a strand of hair from my face, making my cheeks burn and my heart flutter with anticipation. When his fingers found my chin, I thought my heart had stopped beating entirely. Time stood still as he gently pulled my face toward his, his lips hovering over mine. I closed my eyes and waited for my moment of bliss, my first kiss.

Then I heard a low growl.

Reluctantly turning away from the man of my dreams, I opened my eyes to see Akamaru's jealous, growling face right in front of me. The mutt had exploded over the years, turning into some freakishly huge beast, like a science experiment gone horribly wrong, but Sai didn't seem scared, and he had no reason to be. After all, he could handle that mangy mutt!

Since Akamaru was standing right in front of me, I knew his fleabag owner wasn't far behind. When he finally showed, I wanted to strangle him for ruining my perfect moment with Sai.

"Eh? Akamaru, what are you doing?" Kiba asked his dog, and then he looked over at Sai, who was still sitting very close to me. "What are you two doing?"

Before I could speak, Sai replied casually, "Well, I was going to kiss Matsubara-san ..."

Kiba's jaw dropped. "Ehhhhhh? You were gonna kiss her_?_"

"Of course." Sai's eyes passed over Kiba's bewildered face. "Oh, do you have romantic feelings for Matsubara-san? Is that why—"

"WHAT?" Kiba shouted. "I don't have feelings for her! Akamaru's the one who freaked out, not me!"

Then Sai's black eyes flickered over to me. "I can see why you'd like her. She does strongly resemble a dog."

Now it was time for my jaw to drop. "What? I don't look like a dog!"

I couldn't believe my ears. The love of my life was insulting me right to my face, calling me a dog—a dog of all things! How could he? That jerk! I felt like my heart was shattering into a million pieces. Were there no decent men left in this world?

Enraged, I jumped up, grabbed Yuzu's arm, and stormed away, dragging my poor friend with me.

To calm me down, Yuzu thought it would be a good idea to get a bite to eat, so we went to Oshiro's, my favorite restaurant. It was a very classy establishment, with a very romantic atmosphere. Oshiro's was the place where lovers dined, where love blossomed by candlelight and long-secret feelings were finally expressed. I had hoped to go there with Sasuke, Neji, or Sai, but I still appreciated Yuzu's gesture, especially since she'd offered to pay.

"I can't believe that jerk!" I sat back in my seat, still furious.

She picked at her food. "Who? Kiba?"

I shook my head. "Sai—and Kiba."

"Well, you can't get mad at Sai. He doesn't know any better."

"But for him to try to kiss me and then call me a dog!"

"Oh, please. He tries to kiss everyone, even Naruto."

My eyes bulged. "Naruto? He tried to kiss Naruto?"

She blushed. "It was just a misunderstanding. He was confused."

I hung my head in shame. "I'm never gonna get my first kiss."

"But you've already had your first kiss," Yuzu said with a laugh. "Akamaru's kissed you at least a dozen times."

I clenched my fist. "Shut up!"

Yuzu giggled. "Sorry, Iku-chan."

Once we'd finished our food and were getting ready to leave, Yuzu suddenly stopped and slapped her hand to her forehead. "Ugh, I forgot! I was supposed to deliver this medicine to Inuzuka-san." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, dark bottle. Then she looked over at me. "Iku-chan, could you please do me a favor?"

I knew where she was going with this. "No way! I'm not taking medicine over to the mutt family."

"But I have to run errands for my mother, and I'm already running late. Please, Iku-chan."

I groaned. The Inuzuka house was so far away, practically in the middle of nowhere. And all those dogs! I didn't want to be around all those slobbering mutts. But at the same time, I owed this much to Yuzu. She never asked me for anything. How could I turn her down in her moment of need?

Rather easily, actually.

"I'm not doing it," I said flatly.

"Ikuko!"

"What? It's your job, not mine!"

"_Ikuko!_"

"I have things to do, too!"

"IKUKO!"

"Oh, fine, I'll do it! ... But if I don't come back, you'll know why, and it'll be all your fault!"

"Thank you!" Yuzu pulled me into a tight hug before handing me the medicine bottle. "You're a great friend, Iku-chan. Good luck!" And then she ran off.

I sighed and clutched the medicine bottle. Today just wasn't my day: Neji broke my heart, Sai called me a dog, and now I had to deliver medicine to Kiba's house of hounds. But I was going to do it, only for Yuzu.

Most of the houses in Konoha were fairly close in proximity, but because of all the dogs they kept, the Inuzuka clan preferred to live in seclusion. It was an hour walk if you took the main road, but you could cut your time in half if you went through the forest. To save time, I went through the forest, reaching the house just as the sun started to set.

I'd never been to their house before, but I knew I was in the right place from the smell alone. The air held a thick wet dog stench, and I could hear dogs barking all around me. Although I didn't see any nearby, I knew they were lurking around every corner, ready to pounce!

Hesitantly, I approached the front door and gently knocked. Moments later, the door opened, and I was forced to face the terror that was Kiba's mother.

Ever since I was a child, his mother absolutely petrified me. She was so scary looking, and she spoke in such a rough voice; I thought she was going to bite my head off with every sentence. Of course, it didn't help that I was mean to her only son, but she only knew Kiba's side of the story, which was a lie!

"Inuzuka-san," I greeted as politely as I could, hoping that she wouldn't attack me.

"Ikuko, to what do I owe this pleasure?" She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. I could see her claws sticking out from her fingers, sharp as daggers.

I held out the bottle of medicine. "I'm delivering the medicine from Takeda-san."

"Oh, thank you." She took the bottle from me. "I have a little cough, you see. It's made my voice quite hoarse."

"Sounds the same to me," I muttered, thinking she wouldn't hear.

I was wrong.

"Have you seen our new puppies?" she asked, giving a devilish grin. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

I took a step back. "No, thank you. I'd better get home, actually."

"Oh, but don't you want to say hello to Akamaru?" She turned her head and called into the house, "Akamaru!"

Stumbling back in fear, I let out a loud yelp, spun around, and then scampered down the stairs. Her roaring laughter echoed through the wood as I ran as far as my legs would take me. My legs, unfortunately, didn't take me very far before I got tired.

As I leaned against a tree to catch my breath, I heard a series of howls in varying pitch and length. My head shot up and turned in the direction of the source.

In the distance, I saw a soft, glowing light, and the smell of smoke filled my nostrils. Curious, I followed the light deep into the forest, and the howling soon got louder. I could see the smoke now as it wafted out from the chimney of a small hut.

Slowly, I approached the hut and peered in through the open door. In the center of the room was a small fire, burning incense probably, and sitting around the fire were six large dogs. In between the dogs, sitting quietly, eyes closed in prayer, sat an old woman with long grey hair and the red fang markings of the Inuzuka clan.

"Ikuko Matsubara," she called with her eyes still closed, and I jumped upon hearing my name. "Come in," she said, making a beckoning motion with her hand.

Cautiously, I walked inside, stopping just a few feet short of the circle of dogs. The old woman's eyes were open now, her black pupils the same as Kiba's: vertical and slit-like.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I know a lot about you, Ikuko. My name is Biyoku. I believe you know my grandson."

I cringed. She was Kiba's grandmother? Great. Just great.

Biyoku rose from the ground, taking with her a long black cane to help her walk. "You're heading down a troubling path, young Ikuko," she warned as she slowly approached me. "You take people for granted and think only of yourself. Your selfishness will destroy you, I've seen it."

I felt my fist clench in anger. "How dare you speak to me like that? You know nothing about me!"

She took another step toward me. "Pride can be a dangerous thing, young Ikuko."

"Why are you saying all this?" I backed away, suddenly frightened of the strange old woman.

"I want to help you, teach you what it means to be a ninja, to be a human being ... What I'm about to give you is a very rare gift. Not many get this type of opportunity, so don't waste it."

"What are you ...?"

Biyoku suddenly began chanting in a strange tongue, saying what sounded much like the prayer I'd caught before, but slightly different. She was speaking with such intensity that it was almost manic. Then she lifted her black cane and began waving it around, circling it around my head as she chanted, and then suddenly ...

_Whack!_ She struck me on the top of my head with her cane.

"What the hell!" I shrieked, stumbling back. "What are you trying to do—kill me? You nearly cracked my head open, you old bag! Oh, just you wait until my father hears about this!"

As I stormed out of her hut, I heard Biyoku's last words to me: "You'll thank me for this, young Ikuko. You'll thank me ..."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think!<strong>


	4. A Rude Awakening

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: A Rude Awakening<strong>

I was back in the forest somehow, aimlessly wandering through the darkness, searching for something I could never seem to find, yet it never occurred to me to stop looking.

_"You're heading down a troubling path." _Biyoku's accusing words passed through the wind as quiet as a whisper. _"You take people for granted and think only of yourself."_

I found my classmates in the wood, only children to my eyes. Together, they laughed and ran and hid amongst the trees, playing a strange game that was unknown to me, and I could not figure out the rules. When I tried to play too, they all shunned me. "You can't play with us, Ikuko," they all said. "You can't play with us."

But I wanted to. I wanted to play their game, but they said, "You can't play with us, Ikuko. You don't know how to play."

_"Pride can be a dangerous thing, young Ikuko."_

Giggling, my classmates ran and hid behind the trees, and they started whispering in a language I couldn't understand. When they finally emerged again, they appeared not as children but dogs, large dogs, wild dogs.

They stepped out one after another, creeping along on their paws, and then they started coming toward me, slowly but steadily. Ten pairs of eyes watched me, glowing bright like tiny candles in the shadows.

I backed away. _Leave me alone_, I wanted to say, but I could not form the words. They wouldn't stop, and I couldn't stop them.

Frightened, I turned to run, and then I saw me, as a child, dressed in the blue dress Father had given me, the dress I'd ruined, the dress I had to throw away. She looked at me, little Ikuko, stared right at me with her honey brown eyes; and then she pointed her tiny index finger at me, and she spoke to me, but the voice was not her own—it was Biyoku's hoarse voice:

_"What I'm about to give you is a very rare gift."_

Suddenly, my ears started ringing and a searing pain shot through the top of my head, the exact spot where Biyoku's cane had struck me. I fell to my knees, clutching my head in agony, and the dogs began to close in around me. I looked to the left, to the right, forward, backward, but there was no escape.

_"... don't waste it ..."_

Pain took over my entire body. My bones felt like they were twisting and bending, contorting my body into an inhuman shape. I thought I was going to be ripped in half. My arm shot forward, gripping the earth beneath me, and my nails grew and sharped into long claws. Reddish-brown fur tore through the flesh of my hand and spread up my arms.

_"... don't waste it ..."_

A loud, painful howl ripped through my throat, my humanity being consumed by a beast.

I could still hear the howling when I opened my eyes. A pale crescent moon hovered outside my bedroom window, reminding me that I was home safe. My white sheets were strewn about in a twisted heap around me, damp with sweat, and my forehead was feverish with worry. I took a deep, calming breath.

_It was just a dream_, I told myself._ It was all just a dream. _

I rested my head back on my pillow and closed my eyes, but something didn't feel right. No matter how many times I turned over, I couldn't seem to get comfortable, not as I was before.

I heard Mother's pounding footsteps on the wood floor, and I cringed, bracing myself for what was to follow. Mother hated to be woken in the middle of the night; she would not be happy with me. When my bedroom light turned on, I kept my back to her and pretended to be asleep like I usually did, but I knew that wouldn't save me.

"What's going on in here? What are you—" She let out a high-pitched shriek. "Oh my gosh! Get out! Get out of here, you filthy beast!"

_Filthy beast?_ I knew she would be angry, but I never expected her to be screaming so furiously at me. Had she been drinking again? Had Father not come home? Or worse, had he come home smelling of another woman's perfume?

All those questions vanished from my mind when I felt her strike my back with great force, intending to bring harm. I sunk deeper into my bed sheets, wanting to disappear. She had never hit me so hard before, never. But she stuck me again, even harder, and screamed that she would have me killed.

"_GET OUT!_"

I scrambled out of bed before she could hit me again, instinctively landing on all fours as if it was the most natural thing to do, and my nails chattered against the hardwood.

When I looked down, I came to a shocking realization: I was standing on four white paws.

Panicking, my emotions overwhelming me, I stumbled backwards, smacking into my mirror, and it came crashing down. I just barely managed to dodge it.

Mother came around my bed but stopped when her bare foot met a sharp shard of glass. "Get out, you filthy beast or I'll have you exterminated!" She reached down for a shard and pointed it at me, threatening me with the glass blade. "_Get out!"_

I jumped onto the bed and ran across the mattress, ripping the bed sheets with my claws. As I dropped to the floor, my tail knocked over the lamp on my nightstand, and the light bulb exploded when it hit the ground, leaving the house in darkness.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! GET OUT, YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!"

As I flew down the stairs, my clumsy paws got tangled up beneath me, and I tumbled to the ground, sliding across the floor until the wall stopped me.

With my dizzying vision, I could see Mother's feet at the top of the stairs. She was still screaming at me.

I hurried to my feet and searched for an escape, looking right, left, then right again, and finally I saw the window Mother had left open in the living room. It was just big enough for me to squeeze through. Quickly, I dashed across the room and leapt through the open window to freedom.

But what kind of freedom was this?

I walked down the quiet street, the crescent moon my sole companion, and fought with my horrid reality. This had to be a dream, I thought. Surely, this was just another nightmare, and soon I was going to wake up safe in my bed—as a human, not as a dog.

I passed by a small puddle on the side of the road and stared at my hideous reflection. Somehow, I'd been reduced to a disgusting, smelly hound with pointed ears and thick white fur marked with copper-red on my back, ears, and forehead. A long tail seemed to move by itself behind me, constantly distracting me. At least a dozen times I thought there was somebody behind me, only to realize it was my beastly tail.

One, only one feature was still recognizable to me: my honey brown eyes.

_I just don't understand_, I thought. _What could I have done to deserve this? _

Biyoku's words suddenly ran through my head. _"You take people for granted and think only of yourself ... What I'm about to give you is a very rare gift ... don't waste it."_

I was being punished, I realized. That witch was punishing me for being mean to her son and his stupid mutt! She wasn't giving me a gift, and she certainly didn't want to help me. No, she cursed me.

_So what am I supposed to do now?_ I thought. _I can't live like this. I'm not supposed to be a dog! _

Where was I supposed to go? I couldn't go home. Mother hated dogs. Once, when I was very young, I brought an abandoned puppy home and asked her if I could keep it. I promised that I would take care of it, and it would stay in my room, completely out of her sight, but she made me put the puppy outside. She said dogs were disgusting, filthy creatures that had no business in our house, and if she ever saw me so much as touch one again, I would be punished. Now, I was that wretched beast.

Seeing no other option, I decided to go to Yuzu's house. She was, after all, my best friend, so she would have to help me.

On all fours I ran down the road, and when I reached her house, I scratched at the door with my front paw over and over, and then I started barking as loud as I could. Finally, the door opened and Yuzu's mother poked her head out. She was a small women, a simple woman, but there was always a friendly twinkle in her eye. Tonight, however, that twinkle had been diminished by fatigue.

Yawning, the middle-aged woman gently shooed me away, saying, "Go on. Go home. There's nothing here for you." Then she closed the door in my face.

Since I couldn't get Yuzu's help, I walked around the village thinking of someone else to call on, but nobody came to mind. Who was going to help some stray dog anyway? Nobody knew who I was. I passed by Shikamaru's house, and Sakura's house, even Naruto's house, but I knew none of them could help me, not in my current state.

I'd just about given up hope when I passed by the tavern, and there I saw Father mumbling to himself as he stumbled down the road, stinking of alcohol, like he'd taken a bath in it. When he saw me, he gave a lazy, crooked grin and attempted to come over, but he quickly lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Come here, puppy puppy ... Come here ..." He laughed as he attempted to stand, but the challenge was too great in his drunken state. Four times he tried to regain his footing, and each time he failed. Eventually, he just gave up and got comfortable on the ground.

"Let's be friends, okay?" he said to me. "I'll go home with you tonight ... be free of my wife for one night." He sighed and dropped onto his back. "Ugh, I need a break."

He would be no help in his current state, I quickly realized, and once he passed out, I had no one else to turn to.

So what was I supposed to do? Stay a dog forever? Maybe somebody would eventually find me and take me in. A nice family with lots of money. They would buy me a warm, comfy bed and ...

Wait, what was I thinking? I couldn't stay a dog forever. I was a Konoha kunoichi. There was no way I could just stand by and let my life be ruined by some vengeful witch. No, I had to do something, and I knew just what to do.

_If she turned me into this thing, then she can change me back_, I thought as I took off into the woods in search of Biyoku's hut. The forest wasn't that large, and dogs were supposed to have good senses, so I naturally assumed I would find the hut in no time, but I was very wrong. Soon, I found myself wandering around without a sense of direction, just as I had done in my dream. Turns out, my enhanced senses were useless without something to go on.

Eventually, I gave up and sought rest at the base of a tall tree. The friendly crescent moon was shining its light on me, but it did not bring me peace.

_What now? _I thought sadly. _What do I do?_

I decided to keep trying. Slowly, I got back to my feet and took a step forward. That was when I felt something sharp clamp down on my front right paw, right where my wrist would be. It was an old, rusted wolf trap that held my captive, its steel jaws painfully ensnaring my paw.

My initial reaction was to panic. Desperately, I tried to pull my paw free, but that only made the jaws dig in deeper and cut right through my skin. Loud whimpers sounded from my clenched jaw as I struggled to free myself, but they soon quieted as I began to give up hope. I sat down, my paw trapped and bleeding, and hung my head.

_I wanna go home_, I thought. _I just wanna go home._

Then I heard a twig snap, followed by the sound of footsteps, slow at first but then getting faster. I heard a boy's voice in the darkness, a voice strangely familiar to my ears.

My head shot up and turned toward the direction of the boy's voice. Narrowing my eyes, I peered through the shadows and saw a boy emerge, dressed in baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. As he came closer, I was able to make out the two fang markings on his cheeks.

_Kiba ...?_

Kiba approached me cautiously, so as not to frighten me, and his face displayed a mixture of worry and determination. He spoke to me quietly, trying to calm me down. "Easy, girl. It'll be okay."

Kneeling next to me, he carefully placed his hands on either side of the trap and pressed down on the springs, finally freeing my trapped paw. Then he gently scooped me into his arms and carried me off, whispering soothing words to me. "It's gonna be okay, girl. You're gonna be alright."

In his arms, I felt safe and strangely at ease. Who would've guessed the boy I hated most would be the one to save me?

Well, at least I didn't have to thank him or anything.

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><p><strong>Alright, folks, now the fun's gonna start! I really hope you stick with this story. The next chapter should be finished soon since I'm only editing the old ones and cleaning them up a bit. Thanks for reading!<br>**


	5. Entering the Dog House

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Entering the Dog House<strong>

"Mom! ... Hana!" Kiba yelled as he forced open the front door and carried me into his house. His cries were loud, desperate. "Mom! Hana!"

After roughly pushing everything else aside, he gently laid me down on the kitchen table. My white paw was throbbing and dripping red with warm blood.

"Mom!" Kiba shouted once more, his voice starting to break.

There was a series of loud, thunderous noises as Kiba's mother and sister ran into the room, fear and worry on their faces. The moment his mother saw me, she gasped. "Kiba, what happened?"

"I found her in an old wolf trap. I don't know how long she was there—I freed her as soon as I could, but—"

"Shhh, it's alright," she said. "You did the right thing."

Hana, a medical-nin who specialized in veterinary medicine, came over to me immediately, her black eyes steady and focused. Slowly, carefully, she reached for my injured paw, but as soon as she touched it, a sharp pain ran though my body, and I jerked my paw back, whimpering loudly.

"Easy, girl. I know it hurts, but you must stay still." Her voice was calm, smoothing, and I soon relaxed, allowing her to take my paw. Holding it gently, she began to examine it. Even the slightest twitch brought great pain, and I struggled to remain still.

"The bone doesn't seem to be broken, thankfully, just a sprain." She released my paw. "The laceration will need stitching, though. I'll have to sedate her."

"But she'll be okay?" Kiba interrupted.

Hana smiled. "She'll be fine."

As soon as Hana left, Kiba came up to me and began stroking the top of my head. Honestly, it felt really awkward being petted by him. In fact, the entire time all I could think about was me, lying there in my natural, human form, with Kiba stroking the top of my hair. It was just weird! But then I had to remind myself that I was a dog now, and dogs were supposed to be—Oh, I didn't care! I didn't want him touching me!

At last, he stopped when his mother came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I knew those wolf traps were bad news," she said. "I told them they were dangerous for the other animals, but they insisted nothing would happen. Now look."

And now Kiba's mother was petting me! The terrifying woman with the scary eyes and harsh voice was placing her hand on my back and petting me. Actually, until now I'd always thought her hands would be rough, dry, and calloused, with razor-sharp claws that she used to tear apart her food—I'd pictured the scene several times in my head as a child—so I was most surprised to find her hands quite soft.

"I'm sure she's very grateful to you, Kiba," she went on.

_Yeah, right! It's because of your dreadful family that I'm even in this mess. First thing I do once I get my body back will be ordering the banishment of your entire family, including your mangy mutts._

"Alright," Hana's voice sounded from behind me, "hold her steady while I ..."

Suddenly, I felt a slight pinch in my arm. It reminded me of the time I was forced to get a flu shot, even though I was perfectly healthy. Actually, I was probably the healthiest person in the entire village. I always made sure to include all the essential food groups into my diet, and I drank lots of water. Plus, there was no denying the excellence of my genes ...

Soon, all the thoughts began pouring out of my mind like water out of a bucket. I tried to catch them, but they just slipped through my fingers, splashing onto the floor. I too felt myself drifting away, joining the puddle beneath me.

"I stand before you today not only as a loyal citizen of Konohagakure, but as a kunoichi who has been defending this village for almost four years. On the nineteenth of April, my character was viciously assaulted by the woman to my right, Biyoku Inuzuka. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, she placed a curse upon me, a curse that turned me into a dog, for no reason other than to seek revenge for her grandson, a boy who has tortured me since I was a child! Tell me, what could I have possibly done to deserve such a cruel punishment? – Your silence says it all. I'm just a victim here, a victim who is seeking justice against her attackers. Please, Lady Hokage, I beg you, do what's right, let justice take its course."

I could barely hear myself over the roar of applause that followed my grand speech. At once, the entire Inuzuka family was placed in chains and forced out of the village.

"Please, Ikuko, have mercy!" Kiba pleaded as he was led away by the chains around his wrists. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you!"

"If sorry solved everything, then we wouldn't need the police!"

"Nooooo!"

"Yay!" I cheered as the crowd lifted me high above their heads, praising me. Giggling happily to myself as my enemies were disposed of, I threw my hands into the air and cried, "Justice prevails! I win, I win!"

And like a bubble, my perfect little dream popped and disappeared, just like that. Looks like I was going to have to wait for my justice, but it was good while it lasted. In fact, it was probably one of the best dreams I'd ever had, except for the one where Sai, Neji, and Sasuke confessed their love to me all at once. Because it was a dream, I didn't have to choose between them, so I got to marry all three!

When I finally opened my eyes, I felt groggy and a little disoriented. No longer was I in the kitchen. Instead, I was in a rather plain room with articles of clothing thrown all over the floor; dirty or clean I couldn't be sure. I sniffed the air, taking in a mixture of sweat and wet dog, neither if which I found pleasant. No respectable woman would keep a room like this—though I couldn't completely rule out Kiba's mother—so I knew I was in Kiba's bedroom. Just the thought sickened me, and that sick feeling only worsened when I saw him walk into the room.

"Hey, you're finally awake. Did you sleep well?"

Did he really expect me to answer? Idiot.

Then I heard a soft panting sound to my right, a sound that irritated me to no end. Shifting my eyes, I came face to face with Akamaru, and I could smell his breath; it was magnified with my newly enhanced sense of smell. I was absolutely repulsed, but Akamaru seemed as happy as ever, like this was another one of our disastrous encounters. Could he recognize me? No, that wasn't possible, was it?

_"Akamaru, can you understand me? Please, I know we've had our differences, but I need you to tell Kiba that it's me, Ikuko! His grandmother turned me into a dog!"_

His blank look said it all. I knew it was a long shot. _Stupid dog._

Kiba bent down in front of me and looked at me with kind, compassionate eyes. _The guy is an obnoxious jerk_, I thought as I stared back at him, bewildered._ Give him a dog, and he turns into a complete softie_. I'd officially lost the little respect I still had for him.

"You wanna try to get up?" he asked. "Let's see how well you can move with the cast."

I stared down at the pink cast around my right paw. Although I'd been told that blue was my color, pink was alright too. Heck, I looked great in any color—except yellow, but nobody looked good in yellow.

Feeling strong and confident as ever, I attempted to rise from the bed. That one motion was one of the most awkward of my life. It seemed simple enough: just put the weight on the front paws, rise up, and then distribute the weight evenly, but this cast made my paw more rigid than an icicle.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Kiba said once I was standing. "Let's try walking, hmm? Come on, girl." He patted his thigh with his hand.

_Oh, don't you beckon me like a dog!_

His bed was low enough to easily step down, but walking wasn't that simple. My leg was so stiff that it felt like a peg leg, and I'd never gone through a pirate phase as a child. Slow and unsteady was becoming my mantra, and it felt like ten minutes had passed before I even made it to the kitchen. Looking at the clock above the sink, I began to suspect that time passed differently for dogs because only two minutes had actually passed.

"Well, she's really coming along, isn't she?" Kiba's mother said with a smile. What was it with this family and dogs? They all turned into such saps!

"Yeah, and she listens really well. It's the strangest thing."

"Her owner must be really worried. Make sure you start putting up notices as soon as possible. Don't procrastinate like you usually do."

"I know, I know," Kiba muttered as he went over to the counter, grabbed a plate of food, and set it on the table. "But I want to wait until she's healed up a little more. Right now, she's best off here, don't you think?"

"I know this trick," she replied bluntly. "You can't keep her, Kiba. We have enough dogs here. Besides, she already has an owner."

"But what if she doesn't?" he questioned as he returned to the counter for another dish. "What if she was abandoned? What then?"

His mother groaned. "Fine. If nobody claims her, then she can stay."

Kiba grinned and placed the second dish on the floor next to the table. Then, as if the sound of the dish hitting the floor was some kind alarm, Akamaru came running into the room, his claws rapping against the wood floor. After skidding to a stop, the freaky white mutt shoved his nose into the food dish and hungrily devoured his food. I could hear him eating from across the kitchen. Gross.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you," Kiba said as I heard a soft clang below me. Glancing down, I saw a dish of food—if one could even call it food. Really, it was a bunch of chopped up meat and vegetables thrown together to create this mushy, sloppy mess. It was disgusting! I was a lady and refused to eat such food!

I stuck my noise up in the air, offended by the mere sight of it.

"Eh?" Kiba laughed. "What's this? Is that not good enough for you? Come on, I prepared it myself. It's good."

With my strong paw, I pushed the dish away from me.

Kiba's jaw dropped. "I've never seen a dog this finicky," he said, amazed. "You really are a princess, aren't you?"

"Maybe she's not hungry," Kiba's mother suggested.

Actually, I was starving, but for real food!

"Maybe," Kiba said as he bent down and picked up the dish. "Next time, I'll prepare a candlelight dinner for you. How does that sound?"

The mockery was not appreciated.

So I was left sitting on the kitchen floor while Kiba and Akamaru noisily at their food. Honestly, it was hard to tell who was louder; they both ate like animals! At one point, I even saw Kiba gnaw on a piece of cartilage. No wonder the guy couldn't get a girlfriend.

"Good afternoon," I heard Hana call as she entered the kitchen.

Out of everyone in the Inuzuka family, Hana looked the most normal. In fact, if it hadn't been for the marks on her cheeks, I wouldn't have known she was even related. She was so calm and laid-back, and she spoke with such warmth. She must've been adopted or something.

"Hello there," Hana greeted as she bent down and started gently massaging my neck with her fingers. "How's she doing today?"

"She's walking alright," Kiba answered from the table. "Doesn't seem to be in too much pain. But she won't eat the food I've prepared. She literally pushed the dish away."

"Really?" Hana laughed. "My, what a sophisticated lady."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he exclaimed, his tone rising. "_My food's not good enough?_"

"Your words, not mine," Hana replied gently, finally standing. "Have you started looking for her owner yet? You can't keep her, you know."

"I know!"

"Don't put it off 'til the last minute either. You always—"

"I'll do it when I do it! Give me a break, it's barely been a day!"

"I'm just saying ..." Hana trailed off as she strolled out of the kitchen. Then she quickly popped back in and said, "You should take her outside for some exercise later, but nothing strenuous."

"I know!" Kiba growled, roughly pushing his plate away. Once he'd cleaned off his dish and Akamaru's as well, he walked out of the kitchen with Akamaru at his side. "Come on, Princess, let's get some exercise!"

_Princess? _Of all things to call me, he chose that awful name? Well, I hated being called Princess as a human, and I hated it even more as a dog. There was no way that I was going to acknowledge that name as mine. No way!

Kiba stuck his head back in the room, an impatient look growing on his face. "Hey, come on! I don't have all day, you know."

I turned my head away.

"Huh?" He scratched the top of his head in wonder. "What a bizarre dog."

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><p><strong>I know this was another pretty short chapter, but I'm just sticking to the original story. Besides, this is meant to be a cute, quick, easy read. Thanks for reading!<br>**


	6. Playtime

**Enjoy! I should have the next chapter finished soon.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Playtime <strong>

Nature. How I hated nature. Between the blinding sun, the itchy grass, and all the creepy bugs, I couldn't understand why anybody would want to subject themselves to such horrid conditions. I'd spent just a few minutes sitting in the grass and could already feel little bugs crawling all over me. It was driving me crazy! Then, if that wasn't bad enough, my stupid tail kept popping into my peripheral vision and freaking me out. At first, I thought it was another dog trying to attack me from behind, but once I realized it was my tail, I became infuriated.

_Your trickery ends now, tail!_

Rising up on all fours, I made a quick lunge toward the frustrating appendage, but the slippery little thing managed to get away before I could catch it. That initial failure lit a fire within me, and I took off running as fast as my hobbled paw would let me. Barking and biting, I chased after that wretched tail, and I'd just about caught it with my teeth when I heard Kiba's obnoxious voice in my ear.

"Well, at least you're starting to act like a dog."

I stopped dead in my tracks and glanced over my shoulder to find Kiba smiling down at me. Stricken with embarrassment, my tail went limp as I sat back down, resuming my proud posture.

"Come on," Kiba practically begged. "You can't just sit around the whole time. Don't you wanna run around and get some exercise? Hmm?"

I kept my eyes forward, hoping he would take a hint from my silence, but he obviously didn't understand because he soon dragged some nasty, smelly, partially chewed bone over to me. As if the disgusting object would somehow tempt me, the idiot started waving it in front of my face, saying, "Look at the bone! Don't you want the bone? Don't you want it?"

I didn't even blink.

He let out a sigh and dropped the bone. "You don't want to play? Well, fine, but you're the one who's missing out."

_Missing out? Yeah, right!_

Currently, Kiba and Akamaru were locked in this violent wrestling match that had them both rolling on the ground like a bunch of animals. At one point, Kiba had Akamaru in a head-lock, which lasted for only a few seconds before the hound broke free and pinned Kiba against the ground. By the end, they were both covered in dirt, grass, and who knows what else.

Wiping his dirty face with his sleeve, Kiba turned to me and flashed a grin. "See all the fun you're missing out on?"

Fun? That was supposed to be fun? Even if I wasn't injured, I wouldn't have participated in their stupid mutt games. I had class, and above all else, I valued cleanliness, which they both were seriously lacking. No matter how many times Kiba wiped his face, he still looked and smelled just like his filthy, mangy freak of a dog.

"Come here, girl," Kiba said, coming toward me with his dirty arms wide open and inviting, but that was an invitation I refused to accept, so as he got closer and closer, I backed further and further away. "What's wrong? I'm not gonna hurt you."

Before he could take another step, I turned around and ran as far away from him as possible. Well, it wasn't really running, and he could have easily caught me if he wanted to, but he didn't move. While I ran behind the house, I could hear Kiba quietly voicing his confusion to his faithful hound:

"What's her problem?"

Once safely on the other side of the house, I stopped to catch my breath. My legs ached and my injured paw was throbbing; I couldn't run again even if I wanted to, so I planted myself comfortably on the ground and tried to relax. As I took several calming breaths, I tapped my tail against the ground, finding the steady rhythm soothing.

_At least this thing's good for something._

After a while, I started mixing up the rhythm for my own entertainment and found myself bobbing my head gently to the beat. I'd just about reached the climax when I saw a large, beastly shadow looming over me. Naturally, I assumed it was Akamaru coming to torment me again, so I carelessly threw my head over my shoulder and prepared to give a mean glare, but my narrow eyes widened with fear when I saw the massive creature that looked more like a wolf and less like a dog. While I was quite bewildered by the fact that it was wearing an eye patch, I was much too terrified to question it. Actually, I was too terrified to do anything but flee the scene. Despite the pain in my paw, I ran and ran for dear life.

_What kind of freaky experiments are they performing in this place?_

Once, only once, I looked over my shoulder, and I'd expected to see the scary wolf racing after me, but he hadn't moved an inch. In fact, he wasn't even looking at me anymore.

Bringing my head back around, I saw three large grey dogs blocking my path, and I just managed to skid to a stop before crashing into them. Still on edge from the wolf-dog encounter, I panicked when they started smelling me with their freakish noses and quickly scampered off again, seeking shelter in a nearby shed. The door was open just enough for me to sneak through.

_How many dogs do these people have? _I thought as I cowered in a dark corner, my eyes glued to the open doorway, waiting for my assailants to enter and finish what they'd started. Would they attack all at once? Did I even stand a chance?

In the distance, I could hear a faint scratching sound, like claws scraping across the floor. Moving away from the corner, I sought refuge in the sunlight streaming in through the doorway. There were two distinct presences now, the first somewhere to the right of me and the second in front of me, and they were coming closer. Whipping around so that my back was to the door, I slowly started retreating from the danger.

_I hate this place. I really hate this place ..._

As I went to take another step back, I felt something sharp clamp onto my tail, making me yelp. Disoriented, I started stumbling around in circles as my tail flailed back and forth, trying to shake off the attacker. Sometime during its forth go-around, I managed to identify the culprit myself: a small, white, fluffy puppy with playful black eyes that watched me with glee as it dangled from my tail by its mouth. I returned its stare for only a second before trying once more to shake my tail free, but the little pest was persistent.

_Let go of my tail, you little monster! Let go! Let go!_

By now, the other two attackers had emerged from the shadows. They weren't nearly as intimidating as I'd imagined; they were just a pair of tiny brown and white fur balls. As I struggled to free my tail, the two of them watched in amusement, playfully wagging their tails in perfect synchronization with mine. Did they think this was some kind of game?

"Looks like you found the Troublesome Trio!" Kiba said as he entered the shed. The two brown puppies barked happily as Kiba scooped them both into his arms. "We have the sisters, Maya and Mari," he introduced while the two puppies affectionately licked his cheeks. Laughing, he set the two back on the ground and then stepped behind me and gently plucked the white demon from my tail. "And their kid brother, Mogu. He's a bit of a handful."

Once on the ground, Mogu ran to my side and leapt onto my back. His paws slid across my fur as he tried to stabilize himself, but gravity was fighting against him, and he soon toppled off. Barking cheerfully, the dog was about to make his second attempt when Kiba caught him and pulled him back.

"Hey, give her a break, Mogu," Kiba said with a laugh. "She's still in recovery." Then he turned to me and smiled. "They're rescues, just like you. Hana brought them here a few weeks ago. Someone dropped them off at the clinic." Grinning, he ruffled the white puppy's fur with his fingers. "Now you're gonna become tough ninken, aren't you?"

It was happening again. Kiba was turning into a complete sap over a bunch of puppies. They weren't even that cute, but Kiba was practically falling all over himself. I was just about to give them some space when Kiba finally stood and gave his shirt a long sniff. If he could smell what I was smelling, I was surprised he could even remain conscious.

"Come on, Akamaru," Kiba called as he walked out of the shed, "let's go get cleaned up before dinner!"

As I sat there with the three little monsters, I couldn't help but wonder if Kiba was actually going to bathe with his dog. If he was, there was something seriously wrong with him. Why, I could picture it now: Kiba soaking in a bath right next to Akamaru. Sick.

A soft nudge against my left leg parted me from my thoughts. Glancing down, I met the friendly gaze of Mogu. He was about to nudge me again when I gently pushed him away with my paw. Then I felt a similar nudge on my opposite side courtesy of Maya, and Mari was right in front of me, ready to play.

_How annoying._

Dinner time meant round two of Kiba's struggle to get me to eat his ghastly food. While the rest of his family enjoyed their meal, he sat on the floor in front of me, determined to get me to eat.

"Please, eat," he pleaded, nudging my food dish. "Just a little bit to make me feel better, okay?"

It didn't matter how hungry I was. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to make me want to eat that wretched food.

But smelling Kiba's abandoned plate of food was making me so hungry. A steaming bowl of white rice with mouthwatering chicken. How cruel it was to have to sit there and watch Hana enjoy such a delicious smelling meal.

"Kiba, if she doesn't want to eat, then let her be," his mother growled, growing impatient. "Your food is getting cold."

"I'm not gonna let her starve!" Kiba yelled back before turning to me with desperate eyes. "Please, just one bite."

_Just give me some chicken!_

"Kiba, come eat!"

"I'll eat when she eats!" he hollered.

The kitchen fell silent as Kiba's mother angrily picked through her rice with her chopsticks, her grip on them getting tighter and tighter until they cracked in her fist. "Fine, then starve!" With one swift motion, she knocked Kiba's rice bowl off the table and sent it crashing against the wall.

_She's crazy!_ I thought, completely mortified, but everybody else was surprisingly calm. Hana hadn't looked away from her food, and Kiba just gave an annoyed groan. Why did I get the feeling that this wasn't a rare occurrence? This family was so dysfunctional.

As the little bits of rice and chicken slid down the wall and fell to the floor, I could feel my mouth watering again. My paw was just about to move when I quickly stopped myself.

_What are you thinking? A lady doesn't eat food off the floor!_

"You're not gonna eat, are you?" Kiba said with a sigh and then picked up the dish. "Okay, we'll try again tomorrow."

After setting the dish on the counter, Kiba opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a bag of jerky. I could feel my stomach growling as he took a rather large chunk and put it in between his lips, letting the piece of delicious dried meat hang from his mouth. If I was a little stronger, I might've attempted to jump up and snatch it from him.

"Come on, Akamaru, let's go for walk," he muttered before tearing off a piece of jerky with his teeth, holding the rest in his hand. Needing no further encouragement, Akamaru quickly followed.

"He's so stubborn," Kiba's mother said as she drummed her fingers against the table.

"Yes, he is," Hana agreed with a faint smile.

"At least he inherited one of my better traits," his mother went on, giving a manic laugh.

_She's so frightening_, I thought, feeling my body cringe, and when she started coming at me, I wanted to run and hide, but I knew she would probably hunt me down, so I just sat there, cowering, until I felt her hand on my back.

"You're stubborn, too," she said, gently stroking my fur. "My kind of dog."

When she left the kitchen, my eyes once again flickered over to the remains of Kiba's meal. Even though I knew better than to eat food off the floor, my hunger was overpowering my will, so while Hana was busy clearing the table, I very stealthily crept toward the pile of rice and meat, licking my lips with anticipation. By the time I reached it, however, Hana had already bent down to clean it up.

"Not every meal ends like this, I promise," she said with a smile as she swept up the remaining grains of rice.

_There goes another meal. I really am gonna starve in this house!_

I stayed in the kitchen, wallowing in my hunger, until Kiba returned with Akamaru and said it was time for bed. Remembering his stinky, sweaty bed, I really didn't want to spend another night in that awful room, but since I had nowhere else to sleep, I quietly followed Kiba and Akamaru into the bedroom.

While Kiba went over to his dresser, I hopped onto his bed and tried my best to get comfortable. After turning a few times, I managed to find a cozy spot and settled down. When I finally looked up, I saw the single most disturbing sight of my life: Kiba had his shirt draped around his neck, leaving his bare chest and abdomen almost completely exposed. If it had been Neji's body, then I would've fainted from happiness, but seeing Kiba's indecent form made me want to faint from repulsion. Turning away, I wished that Biyoku had blinded me.

_This is beyond torture. My eyes will never see the same again. I'm scarred for life!_

Fully clothed at last, Kiba pulled the blanket from his bed and sat down on the floor next to Akamaru. After draping the blanket over him and his canine companion, he said to me with a smile, "You can have the bed to yourself, Princess, unless you want to join us."

_Join you? Don't make me laugh._

"It's really comfy down here ..."

In response, I turned around and gave my back to him, making him bust out laughing. "Well, okay, Princess, but if you change your mind, this spot's always open."

And it was going to stay open. No matter what, I was not going to move from a warm bed to the cold floor, especially not to sleep next to Kiba and his smelly hound. But there was one thing I wanted badly:

Food.

I was starving. I needed food, and I didn't care how I got it, so once I was sure that Kiba was asleep, I crept into the kitchen and began my search. With first my paw and then my teeth, I attempted to pull open the fridge, but I lacked the strength to open it, so I moved on. Rising up on my hind legs, I searched the counter for any leftovers but found nothing. I really wanted to get that bag of jerky, but I knew I couldn't reach the cupboard.

Giving up, I returned to the floor and was just about to go back to Kiba's room when I saw something out of the corner of my eye: my food dish, full and just waiting to be eaten from. But Hana had cleaned it out. I saw her do it with my own eyes. Was this some kind of trap? A cruel trick?

Walking over to it, I dropped my nose and inhaled the scent of delicious chicken, rice, and vegetables. Although it certainly didn't look appetizing before, now it was simply delectable. I could barely contain myself; it took all my willpower to keep from diving into the bowl like a wild animal. But first I had to make sure the coast was clear. After refusing my food for this long, it would be suspicious if I was suddenly caught stuffing my face. No, this had to be a complete secret, so I checked repeatedly to make sure nobody was around, and then, in the cover of darkness, I shoved my nose into my dish and enjoyed my first meal as a dog.

And what a meal it was! While it wasn't visually appealing, it tasted absolutely incredible, way better than the cheap takeout I'd been forced to eat for so long. It was like a dream, a delicious chicken-filled dream, and I never wanted to wake up.

... And then the light turned on.

"Aha!" Kiba declared, standing next to the light switch with a finger pointed right at me. "I knew it! My food is good!"

Despite my greatest efforts, I'd been found out, and by Kiba of all people. Swallowing the food in my mouth, I backed away from the dish and hung my head in shame. He'd seen me in a moment of weakness, and now he was going to hang it over my head forever.

"You fell right into my trap, Princess!" he went on, rubbing his hands together with glee. He looked particularly obnoxious like that. I almost wanted to bite him just to get him to shut up, but thankfully, his mother entered the room and did it for me.

"Kiba, keep it down!" she yelled. "People are trying to sleep!"

"I got her to eat!" he exclaimed proudly, pointing down at the nearly empty food dish. "I told you my food was good!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Congratulations. Now, go to bed before I throw you both outside." Then she left the room and slammed her bedroom door shut.

"I knew it," Kiba kept going on as he knelt down next to me, unable to wipe the cocky grin from his face. "Well, there's no point in hiding it anymore, Princess. You've been found out. Game's over, and I win."

_One more word, and I'm gonna bite his hand off._

Then he started petting the top of my head, still smiling to himself, basking in his victory. After a while, he started stroking underneath my chin, which was at first awkward and uncomfortable but soon became relaxing. Of course, to keep from biting him, I had to pretend it was Neji giving me affection and not Kiba, but that was very easy to do with my eyes closed.

"You're a very pretty dog," Kiba suddenly commented, making my eyes snap open and meet his. He wore a strange expression on his face, one that made me feel weird. It was similar to nausea, but not as extreme.

"Those brown eyes, there's something familiar about them. I can't put my finger on it ..."

My heart nearly stopped. Was he recognizing me?

_"Kiba_,_ it's me, Ikuko! You've gotta help me!"_

He smiled and stood up. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

My heart sank, but I wasn't about to give up yet. I couldn't. Besides, someone was bound to notice my disappearance: my parents, Yuzu, or Youji. One of them was going to notice, right? And then they would tell somebody. They had to tell somebody. Yuzu was my best friend, so she wasn't going to forget about me. And my parents were probably worried, really worried. People were going to come looking for me, I was sure of it. I just had to wait, and somehow everything was going to be okay.


	7. Itching for Revenge

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Itching for Revenge <strong>

It was as if my entire life had been leading up to this one fateful moment. After countless years of tireless work, I'd finally reached his heart, and now here I stood, tightly clutching his letter in my hand. I could smell his scent mixed in with the ink on the paper. It was as if he'd poured his entire heart into it.

"I feared you wouldn't come," Neji said as he emerged from the forest, his pale eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"I almost didn't," I replied, my cheeks burning pink with anticipation. "I thought you hated me."

Neji came to me at once and took my hands in his. "Please, forgive me, Ikuko. I only acted that way to hide my true feelings. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one I wanted to be with forever." He was staring into my eyes with such intensity; I thought my heart was going to burst.

"Oh, Neji-kun ..." I murmered, closing my eyes, waiting for his sweet kiss, but it would never come. A second voice emerged from the darkness and interrupted our moment of tenderness. Ripping my eyes away from Neji, I spun around to find Sai standing right beside me, his ink black eyes showing a faint trace of jealousy.

"What are you doing here?" Neji asked, his eyes narrow.

Sai matched his fierce stare. "I too have come to declare my love to Ikuko. I have loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her."

I leapt for joy. "Yay! I'm so lucky!"

"I see," Neji replied coolly. "I guess that makes us rivals then."

"It seems that way."

"So how should we settle this?"

Sai smirked. "I think you already know."

I already knew, too, and I was watching them excitedly, my eyes bouncing back and forth between the two strong, handsome warriors of love who were about to engage in a battle to the death to win my heart. Surely, this moment couldn't have gotten any better, but I was quickly proven wrong when a third voice came from the trees, instantly stealing my attention. The shadows were cloaking his face, but I knew who he was right away. After all, how could I forget my first love?

"Sasuke-kun," I exclaimed, "you've finally returned to me!"

"Yes, I have. The power of your love has brought me back."

My cheeks flushed. "Power of love?"

Swiftly, he jumped down from the tree and landed perfectly on his feet. Oh, Sasuke was so cool!

"This ends now," he declared, immediately settling into his fighting stance.

I squealed eagerly. "This is so cool! I'm the luckiest girl in the world!"

But my luck quickly ran out when I heard yet another voice, followed by a dog's growl. Kiba suddenly appeared with Akamaru at his side, ruining my perfect moment, just like he always did!

"What do you guys want her for?" Kiba asked smugly. "She's not even that pretty."

My jaw dropped. "Shut up, you fleabag!"

He smirked. "Make me, Princess."

My eyes narrowed. There was no way I was going to let him ruin the best moment of my life. I'd been waiting too long for this, and nothing was going to spoil it, especially not Kiba and his mutt. This was my fantasy, so it was going to end the way I wanted it to end!

"I've had enough of you," I said. "For so long I've tried to get rid of you, but you're like a cockroach!" I smirked at my choice of words. Boy, did I like the way that sounded, so I pointed a finger right at him. "So be a cockroach!"

Kiba's eyes widened. "Noooooooooo!"

With a quiet poof, Kiba was reduced to the pesky brown pest that I always knew he was. I should've stomped on him; really, I should've, but instead I just let him crawl around pathetically.

When I was satisfied, I then turned my attention to Akamaru, who met my gaze with fearful eyes. "Your turn," I said as I thrust my powerful finger forward, forcing the mutt to join his owner in endless insect misery. Together, they squirmed around on the ground, and I let out a loud, victorious laugh. "Flee before me! Flee!"

I could still hear my laughter echoing in my ears as I opened my eyes. For a moment, I forgot all about my horrible situation, but when I saw Akamaru sitting right in front of me with that friendly glint in his eyes, I became very depressed, and when he attempted to come closer, I just got annoyed. With my strong paw, I gave him a light smack on the nose, making him stumble back and run out of the room.

_Another day in the dog house._

Stepping down from the bed, I proceeded to the kitchen, where the entire Inuzuka family was preparing to eat breakfast. Kiba had just finished setting down Akamaru's food dish when he saw me enter the room. "Good morning, _Ikuko_," he said with a grin.

I blinked. Had I just heard him correctly? Was he using my real name? Did that mean ...?

"Kiba, what did you just call her?" his mother asked.

"I called her Ikuko. It just dawned on me last night—it was the strangest thing—but they look very similar, don't you think?"

After eying me for a few seconds, she answered rather bluntly, "No, not at all."

Kiba shrugged and grabbed another dish of food from the counter. "Well, I think she does," he said as he set down the dish in front of me. Then, stepping away, he gave a wicked grin. "Besides, I can't deny that it gives me a little pleasure."

At this, his mother started to laugh. "Oh, I see what this is about."

Hana sighed. "That's not very nice, Kiba."

"What?" he defended. "I think it's quite fitting. Besides, she doesn't seem to mind. Did you see her ears perk up when I called her name? I think she likes it—more than she liked Princess anyway."

"I just feel bad for the dog," his mother commented, "to be named after such a terrible girl."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was bad enough that I was forced to live as a dog in their wretched house, but now I had to listen to them destroy my character as well? Would this punishment ever end?

When Kiba noticed I wasn't eating, he squatted down next to me and asked, "What's wrong? Don't act like you don't like it. That game's over now, remember?"

How could I be expected to eat in such a poisonous atmosphere? I felt completely insulted!

"Kiba, come eat your breakfast," his mother said impatiently.

He sighed and stood up. "She ate last night. I don't get what her problem is."

"You got her to eat?" Hana asked. "How?"

"Set up a little trap," he answered with a boastful smile. "Clever, huh?"

"A trap that woke me from a peaceful night's sleep," his mother growled. "And then you left her food dish on the floor. I woke up this morning to the smell of spoiled chicken."

"Whoops," he muttered before quickly stuffing his mouth with rice.

"Yeah, _whoops_."

"Well," he went on with his mouth full, spitting grains of rice onto the table, "at least she's eating now."

"Yes, that's nice. Now, eat more like a human and less like an animal."

_Like you can tell the difference_, I thought as I nibbled at my food. As angry as I was, my breakfast was too delicious to deny. While I was chewing, though, I felt something brush against the tip of my tail. At first, I thought nothing of it, but then I felt it again and again. It was the strangest thing.

I was just about to look over my shoulder when I felt a familiar pair of canines clamp onto my tail, making me cringe in pain. Finally turning around, I threw the fluffy little biter a menacing glare.

_You picked the wrong day to mess with me, you little hairball._

Building my strength, I gave my tail a strong whip to the right, sending the white puppy flying through the air. Unfortunately, he landed perfectly fine and was happily barking like it was the best ride he'd ever been on. Soon, he was running right back to me, but before he could go for round two, I sat down, denying him access to his new favorite game. At this, he gave a sad whimper and just sat down beside me.

_Ha! Take that, you little monster!_

I turned back to my food only to find it already half gone, and the two culprits were quickly making their getaway. Mari and Maya, those little demons, were scampering away with their little mouths full of my food! Once they passed by Kiba's mother, she did a quick double take and then groaned. "Kiba, did you leave the back door open again?"

His eyes slowly rose from the table. "... No."

"Then why are the puppies running around the kitchen?"

He shrugged. "Maybe Hana did it."

"Nice try," his sister replied with a laugh.

"Make sure they go back outside when you leave today," his mother went on. "I won't have them chewing up all my furniture again."

"Fine, fine."

The rest of my breakfast went smoothly. The puppies abandoned their assault and moved on to Akamaru, who was much more accommodating than I was. He was sharing his food and letting them try to jump on him as much as they wanted. What a stupid dog. Well, I hoped they were having fun now because soon they were all going to be living on the streets. I just had to wait for Father to come for me. I knew it would only be a matter of time before justice was served, and I couldn't wait to get my revenge on the entire Inuzuka family.

As the family was finishing their breakfast, there was a loud knock at the door, prompting Kiba's mother to rise from her chair and start toward the front door, muttering to herself, "Now, who could that be?"

While they all fussed over who their morning visitor was, I was on my way back to Kiba's bedroom for a little nap. I'd had my breakfast, and now it was time to return to dreamland to see which handsome ninja was going to win my heart. Deep down, I hoped it would be Neji, but they were all exceptional in my eyes. The only real loser was Kiba, who'd probably gotten stepped on or eaten by now. I could picture it clearly: Kiba's blood and guts on the bottom of someone's shoe. What a wonderful thought.

I'd just settled into bed when I heard two distinct voices, deep and authoritative, and once my name was mentioned, I stumbled off the bed and sped out of the room as fast as I could. My claws, unfortunately, hadn't quite figured out how to handle wood floors yet, so I started skidding across that floor like it was made out of ice. All the noise I was making quickly caught Kiba's attention, and he came to me right away. He probably thought he was helping, but he was really a hindrance. My saviors were right there, right in front of me, but I couldn't get to them.

"Easy, girl," he said as he gently stroked the top of my head. I tried several times to move forward, but his arms had created a barrier that I just couldn't break through. Eventually, I gave up my attempts to escape and just tried to listen to the conversation going on outside.

"Why would she be here?" Kiba's mother asked, the agitation radiating through her voice.

"According to our sources, this was one of the last places she visited prior to her disappearance. We're just trying to fully grasp the nature of the situation. We can't rule out any possibilities at this point. I'm sure you understand, Inuzuka-san."

"Of course. But she's not here. You can search the house if you want."

"That won't be necessary. If you hear anything, anything at all, please report it to us immediately. Thank you for your time."

"I hope you find her," she replied politely before shutting the door, and then her true, beastly nature came out. Slamming her fist against the wall, she growled, "This is ridiculous!" before returning to the kitchen and throwing herself into her chair. "That little brat is gone for a day, and her father sends the ANBU?"

Finally, Kiba released me. "Ikuko's missing?"

"That's what they're saying. Personally, I think she's just trying to get attention. I mean, this is probably just some scheme her mother concocted. The girl will show up in a few days, perfectly fine, but her mother will insist she was kidnapped by some neighboring village. We'll never hear the end of it."

"But Ikuko's missing?" Kiba pressed.

"Yes, since yesterday."

Hana sank into her seat. "That's terrible. I hope she's alright."

"Well, if she has really disappeared, then good," Kiba's mother went on. "That girl needs to be taught a lesson. She's a spoiled, selfish girl, just like her mother."

I could've cracked the floor with the amount of pressure I was exerting. If she thought I was going to just sit there and let her speak with such disrespect, then she had another thing coming! So she thought I needed to be taught a lesson, huh? Well, I was about to teach her a little lesson of my own:

Never cross Ikuko Matsubara.

Kiba's mother kept a surprisingly tidy room, not a thing out of place. Well, all that was about to change. She'd mentioned something about not liking her furniture getting chewed up. Well, she should've thought of that before she decided to insult me. Now, it was time to pay. Besides, it was about time I embraced my animalistic nature.

While everyone was busy bashing me in the kitchen, I crept into her bedroom and enacted my revenge. First, I pulled her blanket off the bed and then started tearing through it with my back claws. It was much easier than I thought it'd be; in fact, it didn't take much effort at all for me to rip through it. When I added my teeth to the mix, the destruction reached its peak, and soon the entire blanket was a shredded mess of fabric. I was about to move on to the bed sheet when I saw the three little demons enter the room, their black eyes alive with curiosity, and once they saw the mangled blanket, they quickly caught on. Together, all three puppies hopped onto the bed and started ripping apart her sheets with their teeth and claws. It was a glorious and thrilling sight.

_Well, looks like they're useful after all._

Suddenly, something strange came over me, and I was really starting to enjoy myself. When I started ravaging her pillow with my teeth, shaking it violently back and forth, I couldn't help but pretend it was her arm or something; and what would've been her blood came out as little white feathers that showered over the room like snow. It was like Christmas, and the puppies were having the time of their lives. When the feathers started to fall, Mogu and his sisters kept trying to catch them before they hit the ground, failing nearly every time. When we were finally done, we were all covered with feathers but very satisfied.

We paraded back into the kitchen then. I was leading the procession of feather-covered puppies myself, and I had a little bounce in my step, too. I wasn't at all ashamed of what I'd done, and I couldn't wait for her to discover it. Maybe that was why I walked right up to her.

"What's that you've got all over you?" she asked with a laugh as she leaned over and plucked one of the feathers out of my fur. "A feather? A feather from where ...?" Slowly, her voice began to taper off until she exploded from her chair and barreled out of the kitchen. "Oh, no ... NO, NO, NO, NO!"

With my front claws, I drew circles across the floor while I awaited the much-anticipated eruption. She was probably standing outside her room now, too scared to peek inside, one finger on the door—two now, then a third. Finally, a loud roar came from her bedroom. Mother had always said the Inuzuka clan were the descendents of dogs, which explained their feral appearance and behavior, but I never expected to hear what I heard. A sound like that couldn't come from a human mouth, not even a monster like Kiba's mother. It was so loud and terrifying that the all the puppies scampered off, leaving me to take the fall alone, but I stood my ground; even as my paws shook, I refused to move even an inch.

Now, I half expected some wild beast to enter the kitchen, but, really, I probably stood a better chance against the beast than her. She came in with her fists clenched, shoulders hunched forward, and her face contorted with fury. I thought she was going to take her clawed hands and tear me to pieces just like I'd done to her sheets, but instead she just knelt down in front of me and looked me square in the eye.

"Are we gonna have a problem?" she asked, and even if I could've answered, I wouldn't have. Then she held up a single finger. "That's strike one."

To her left, Kiba was leaning against the counter with his hand over his mouth, a futile attempt to mask his smirk. His quiet snickering gave him away instantly.

"What are you laughing at?" his mother growled once she got back to her feet. "Hmm? You think this is funny? You're paying for all the damages, you know."

His eyes bulged as his hand flopped to his side. "Eh? Why do I have to pay for it? She's the one who did it!"

"She's your responsibility."

"But—"

"But nothing. Now, go clean up her mess."

By this point, Kiba's argument had been reduced to a few incoherent syllables that occasionally spewed from his flapping lips. After listening to him for a few seconds, his mother eventually got fed up and physically forced him out of the room. Only when they were both out of sight could I finally relax.

"Well, aren't you a little troublemaker?" Hana said with a gentle laugh as she came over to me. "I think she's finally met her match." Then she loudly announced to the rest of her family, "Well, I'm off to the clinic!" and gave me a pat on the head before departing.

After a few minutes, Kiba reentered the kitchen with his mother's tattered sheets. Muttering angrily under his breath, he tossed the sheets to the floor and then turned to me with a stern look. "See what you did? Look at all the trouble you're causing me."

_Oh, this is just the beginning._

With a sigh, he lazily kicked the pile of fabric across the floor a few times. He probably would've kept kicking it, but a knock on the door prompted him to stop.

"What is it now?" he grumbled as he stomped toward the door, and because I didn't want to be left alone with his scary mother, I followed closely behind. When he noticed me walking behind him, he gave a small chuckle. "You expect me to protect you after all you've done?"

_Like I need you to protect me._

I was just about to turn back when Kiba opened the door, and I heard Yuzu's voice on the other side. It was as if all my prayers had finally been answered. My best friend had come for me at last! I was so excited that I shoved my way through the gap between Kiba's legs, making him lose his balance and stumble backwards.

"Gosh, take it easy!" he yelled, settling back into his stance. Then he addressed the visitors. "What's going on?"

"Ikuko's gone," Yuzu said, her lip quivering. "She never showed up for training yesterday, and this morning we went to her house, but she wasn't there. I think something's happened to her."

Over and over again, I barked and barked, trying to get her attention, but she refused me even the briefest glance. Even Youji, whose attention span was normally limited to a few seconds, was completely focused. I was right in front of them, but they didn't even care. It was like I was completely invisible.

"Hey, settle down," Kiba said as he gently guided me back into the house and stepped in front of me. "Well, what am I supposed to do? I don't know where she is—and no, I didn't feed her to Akamaru."

"We know you had nothing to do with it," Yuzu replied. "We just want your help. You're a great tracker. If anyone can find her, it's you."

_Like he's gonna help me_, I thought bitterly. _The guy's a selfish jerk. He's glad I'm gone!_

Biting down on his lip, Kiba reached back and rubbed the back of his neck. Now, I expected him to slam the door in their faces and just walk away. Heck, I probably would've done the same thing if the roles had been reversed. But, much to my surprise, Kiba didn't shut the door or even tell them to leave; instead, he bent down to grab his shoes. "We'll go to her house first," he said, pulling on his shoes. "Maybe her mother knows something."

"And if she doesn't?" Yuzu asked.

He shrugged. "Then at least we'll be able to get her scent. Come on, Akamaru!"

That gigantic mutt almost knocked me over when he came tearing down the hallway. Luckily, I managed to step out of the way just moments before he passed me and ran out the door with Kiba and everyone else. But there was no way I was going to let them leave without me!

_"Wait, wait for me!"_ I begged as I tried my best to keep up with them, but they were so fast, and I could barely run with my injured leg. Still, I fought through the pain. I was going to keep going even if it meant biting off my leg and toughing it out on the three good legs I still had.

Unfortunately, even with all that determination fueling me, I wasn't strong enough to fight the strength of Kiba's mother. She grabbed me so fast that I didn't even realize what was going on until I was brought face to face with the crazy woman.

"Nice try, but you're not strong enough yet," she said as she released me and started to walk away. "Kuromaru, keep an eye on her while I'm gone. I give you permission to use whatever methods you deem necessary."

I sat down, wondering who she was even talking to. Who was Kuromaru? Was there another Inuzuka I hadn't met yet? A creepy uncle or something? While I pondered the structure of the Inuzuka family tree, I heard a deep, low growl behind me, one that could've shaken the ground with the very magnitude of its force.

Slowly, I turned around to see the freaky wolf-dog behind me, its eyes—well, eye—glaring down at me.

_Kuromaru's a dog,_ I realized. _Of course._

"Don't even think about running," a voice said, and I must've been going crazy because I could've sworn it was Kuromaru talking, but that wasn't possible because he was just a dog, and dogs couldn't talk.

"Yes, I'm talking to you, Ikuko."

My eyes about popped out of their sockets. The dog was talking! The dog was actually talking! Oh, I was going to need years of therapy to recover from all this trauma.

"If you keep this up, you'll never get your body back," Kuromaru said as he turned to walk away.

My eyes widened._ "Hey, wait!"_

He stopped. "What?"

_"You know what Biyoku did to me? – And you haven't said anything?"_

"It's not my place to tell them. After all, I'm just a dog."

_"Oh, don't pull that crap! You can get me out of this, and you will. Now, I demand you ... you take me to Biyoku's hut at once!"_ As Kuromaru walked away, I chased after him._ "Listen, you stupid mutt! I order you to take me there or else—"_

Kuromaru whipped around and growled, "Or else what? What are you gonna do?"

_"I'm ... I'm ..."_ Man, it was really hard come up with threats when there was a huge wolf of a dog standing in front of me. _"Look, I need to figure out how to get out of this mess, so just take me Biyoku, okay?"_

His expression was impossible to read. I couldn't tell if he was considering my offer or contemplating the many ways he could kill me.

"Fine," he said, "I'll take you there."

And so Kuromaru led me through the forest, moving at a pace just slow enough for me to keep up. It was probably a ten minute walk, though it felt much longer than that, and when we finally reached her hut, I ran past Kuromaru and rushed inside. Like always, the old woman was sitting on the floor in silence.

"I've been waiting for you, Ikuko Matsubara." Her black eyes slowly drifted over to me. "Ah, this form suits you quite nicely, I think."

_"Just shut up and change me back! I've learned my lesson, okay? I'll never be mean to Kiba again, so just change me back already!"_

"But you haven't learned anything, young Ikuko. If you had, you would already have your body back."

_"What? – Look, I don't care about your dumb lesson. My father has already sent the ANBU to look for me, and they will find me. So unless you want to spend the rest of your days rotting in some prison cell, you'll change me back right now!"_

"I couldn't help you even if I wanted to. Once the spell has been cast, it cannot be undone. You alone have the power to free yourself."

_"Well, how do I do that?"_

"That's something you need to figure out for yourself. If I gave you all the answers, then what will you have learned?"

_"That's it?"_ I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How was I supposed to free myself without knowing what to do? What exactly was this lesson, and how was I supposed to learn it? Nothing made sense; everything was so cryptic, like some puzzle that I could never solve.

_I'll find my own way, you old hag_, I mentally declared as I returned to the Inuzuka house with Kuromaru. _And you better pray that I never get my body back. Because when I do, you're gonna pay. You're all gonna pay!_

It was sometime during the walk back that I felt a strange sensation behind my ear, something in between a tickle and a pinch. I tried to ignore it, but it seemed to be spreading throughout my body, moving as far as my tail. By the time we reached the house, I was wriggling about with discomfort. The feeling was completely unbearable! I soon found myself rolling around on the grass just to try to alleviate the irritation, but that only seemed to make it worse. Behind my neck was the worse spot. If only I could've reached back and—

Suddenly, my back foot came up and began scratching the area behind my neck, demonstrating a flexibility that I didn't know I was capable of.

_Oh, that feels great. Yeah, right there ..._

I was still itching myself when Kiba returned. Normally, he would come right over and suffocate me with attention, but this time he didn't even notice me. He literally walked right past me and entered the house. I was able to ignore my discomfort for a few minutes in order to follow him inside.

He walked slowly, dragging his feet across the wood floor, and when he entered the kitchen he just slumped against the counter. "She really is gone," he muttered under his breath.

I dropped to the floor and started itching myself again. Could he not see the pain I was in? Couldn't he tell I was suffering? Did he even care? He was supposed to be taking care of me!

"Where could she be?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't get it."

_Who cares? I'm dying over here!_

Just when I was about to tear through my skin, Kiba's mother entered the kitchen, rambling on and on about something unimportant. When she saw Kiba, she asked, "What's wrong with you? You can pout all you want, but you're still paying for my new bedding." And then she saw me and cocked an eyebrow. "And what's your problem? Why are you scratching?"

_The hell if I know!_

"Don't tell me you ..." She was frowning so deeply that it looked like her lips were melting off her face. "Kiba, she's got fleas!"

Finally, Kiba snapped back to reality. "Huh? What?"

"She's got fleas!" his mother repeated. "Why did you let her inside?"

_Fleas? Are you kidding me?_

"I didn't know she had fleas!" he argued. "It's not my fault!"

"She's your responsibility!"

"But ... but ... but ..." Kiba was back to babbling again, which marked the end of the argument.

"You take care of it," his mother said as she walked out of the kitchen. "And you're gonna clean the house, too."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," Kiba grumbled before squatting down in front of me. "You're a real pain, you know that?"

So instead of sitting down to a nice, warm meal, Kiba and I spent the evening on the porch with a bucket of soapy water and a fine-toothed comb. Carefully, he worked the comb through my fur, catching all the little critters that had invaded my fur, and then I got to watch them all drown when he dunked the comb into the water. Well, at least I got a little satisfaction out of it.

"Leave it to you to get fleas," he muttered. "What's next? Worms?"

_Worms? _I pictured little worms crawling all over me and immediately shuddered. And then that terrible itch returned to my neck, so I quickly scratched it with my back foot, an action that brought relief to me but seemed to make Kiba squirm.

"Stop, you're making me wanna scratch!"

In response, I scratched myself again.

"Stop it!" he growled, rubbing his right ear against his shoulder. "Keep this up, and I'll just let the fleas have at you."

Again, I scratched at my neck, but this time it didn't even itch; I just craved some entertainment.

His eyes narrowed as he dunked the flea-infested comb into the bucket. "You're lucky you're injured."

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><p><strong>Ikuko's finally starting to act like a dog, huh? And what's this lesson she needs to learn? Keep reading to find out!<strong>


	8. Lee's Search Party

**Okay, I've thought a little about what breed of dog Ikuko most closely resembles, and I've decided that a Siberian Husky is probably the closest fit. As for the "troublesome trio" of puppies, they're closest to Alaskan Malamutes, with Mogu having an all-white coat. Just something to think about, and if you don't care, then just disregard this and move on to the story. Enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Lee's Search Party<strong>

Time passed almost as quickly as those fleas had invaded my fur, and before I knew it, an entire month had gone by. How'd I'd managed to survive a month in the Inuzuka house was beyond me. I thought I was going to go crazy after the first week, but I found ways to keep myself entertained. Needless to say, I was well past my three strikes with Kiba's mother, and Kiba was doing a lot more housework than he was used to.

After thirty days, the only good thing to come about was the healing of my injury, which really came in handy when I needed to make a quick getaway.

But today was a relaxing morning. The sun was shining through Kiba's bedroom window, I could hear the birds singing, and I had an entire bed to myself. I even got into the habit of using a blanket, which added extra warmth and comfort, especially during those colder nights. I wasn't sure if Kiba was comfortable on the cold, hard floor, but he never said anything, and I didn't really care. After all, my comfort was really all that mattered.

Of course, I couldn't stay comfortable when I had a furry little beast crawling all over me!

Every morning it was the same thing: Mogu would sneak into the room and jump onto my bed for a little morning playtime. First, he would play tug-of-war with my tail, a game he never won but refused to abandon. Next, he would hop onto my back and rush to its highest point, which really wasn't very high, but he seemed to enjoy it anyway. At the summit, he would—and this was by far the most annoying part—roll all the way down my back until he hit the bed again. But he wouldn't just do this one time; oh, no, he would do it at least five fun-filled times.

Normally, it would end there, but this morning, he must've decided to spice things up because I soon found him crawling on top of my head. He might've been just a puppy, but he wasn't that small anymore, and he certainly wasn't light. Twice, he slipped, but he always managed to catch himself with his claws, which brought me great discomfort. Upon his recovery, he started circling around the top of my head, searching for the perfect spot, and then he curled himself up for a nice nap.

But this was supposed to be my nap time, my moment of bliss. There was no way I could relax with a thirty-pound mutt on top of me, so I lifted my head and tipped it to the side, forcing the puppy to slide off and land on the mattress.

_I'm beginning to think Kiba leaves that door open on purpose,_ I thought as I glared at Mogu, who was preparing his next attack. Before he could spring into action, I thrust my paw forward, halting his movements, and then pushed him right off the bed. Judging by his excited barking, the dog was perfectly fine and ready to pounce again, which meant it was time for me to get up.

After doing my morning stretches, I proceeded to the kitchen with Mogu following right at my tail. The only way to keep my tail safe from his nipping was to keep it in constant, random motion because the minute that dog sensed a pattern, it was all over. Of course, I could've just kept it curled up out of his reach, but that just wasn't any fun. It was much better to torture him and keep his hopes up.

The kitchen was quieter than usual today because Kiba's mother was away on a mission, which also meant I was going to be able to nap on her bed later this afternoon. I'd only been able to do it once before, and it was like heaven on a mattress. I didn't even mind sharing it with the puppies.

"Good morning, Ikuko," Kiba said in a voice more cheerful than usual. He shouldn't have been happy, especially after having to scrub the kitchen floor the night before. When he shoved the paper flyer in front of my face, I realized the source of his eagerness.

"Today's the day," he went on, pulling the flyer back so he could admire it himself. "Today, we start the search for your owner. Flyer looks good, doesn't it? Made it myself, you know."

"After being reminded six times," Hana interjected from the table.

"Hey, all that matters is that it got done. I'll put them up this afternoon."

Hana nodded her head. "Make sure you actually put them up this time. And where people can see them, too."

"I know, I know," he grumbled as he retrieved my breakfast and set it down in front of me. "I've done this before, you know."

"Which is why those puppies still don't have homes."

"They're happier here," Kiba defended as he scooped Mogu into his arms and carried him over to his sister. "Look at his face and tell me he's not happy."

Hana laughed and took the puppy from him. "Yes, he's very happy, and I'm sure Ikuko's happy here, too. But she has an owner, Kiba, one who loves and misses her. Think of the pain that person must be going through right now."

"Or," he fought, "they don't care at all. They might be glad she's gone. Maybe they never wanted her in the first place."

"That's not for you to decide," she said as she set Mogu down and stood up. "Just put up the flyers. I'll post some around the clinic as well."

He pulled a face. "You don't trust me."

She smiled and gently tousled his hair with her fingers. "I know you too well." Then, after pulling half the flyers from the pile on the table, she exited the kitchen, saying, "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba muttered as he leaned back against the counter. Turning to me, he asked, "You're happy here, aren't you?"

_Eh, I've been better._

He sighed. "Let's get this over with."

That afternoon, Kiba, Akamaru, and I traveled all over the village, raising awareness for the poor missing puppy that I was. Kiba put up flyers, questioned people on the street, and even visited people's houses, but, of course, nobody had any idea who I was. They did, however, think I was a very pretty dog and would've been happy to adopt me if nobody claimed me. Kiba usually ended the discussion there.

It was kind of funny, actually. I'd been missing for an entire month, but nobody was putting up flyers with my face on it, or banging on doors, or even mentioning my name at all! It was like everybody had just given up and moved on with their lives. People were freaking out over Ikuko, the dog, but nobody seemed to care about Ikuko, the missing girl. Was I the only one who saw a problem with that?

Even Yuzu seemed to care more for the dog than me.

"Aren't you a pretty dog?" she babbled as she massaged my neck and face. "Yes, you are! Oh, yes, you are!" She stopped for only a moment to ask Kiba, "What's her name?"

Kiba seemed hesitant to answer. "Well, I decided to call her Ikuko."

"Ikuko?"

_Yeah, remember me, your best friend?_

"You named the dog Ikuko?" Youji questioned, raising a confused eyebrow.

Kiba shrugged. "Yeah, she reminded me of her, so I just ..."

Youji busted out laughing so hard he almost fell over. Doubled over with his hands clutching his knees, he laughed and laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard in his life.

"I can't believe it!" he cried out, still in hysterics. Then he looked at me and started making beckoning motions with his hands. "Come here, Ikuko. Come here, girl."

I didn't move an inch.

"Hmm?" He scratched the top of his head. "She really is like Ikuko, isn't she?'

"Speaking of Ikuko," Yuzu said as she rose up from the ground. "Did you get Lee's message?"

Kiba shook his head. "What message?"

"He's organized another search party. We're meeting at three. Will you be there?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Great." Yuzu forced a sad smile. "Hard to believe it's been a whole month, isn't it?"

"Yeah ..."

So Lee had organized a search party for me, huh? Just when I thought everybody had forgotten about me, Lee pulled through with the sweetest gesture ever. Why, I could see it now: everybody gathered, so concerned for my well-being—Neji would be there for sure! Deep down, he was probably really worried about me, but he kept a calm exterior so that it didn't contradict his persona, which I adored so very much. He would probably recognize me right away. After all, love could overcome all obstacles! Forget Biyoku's stupid lesson; all I needed was Neji's love for the curse to be broken.

I was so excited to see Neji that I was literally shoving Kiba along from behind. He was busy putting up the last of the flyers, but it was already almost three, so we had to hurry.

"Ikuko, come on!" he yelled. "What's the rush?"

Gathering all my strength, I delivered one last slam that nearly knocked him down. He managed to catch himself at the last minute, of course, but he was definitely unhappy with me. Whatever anger he felt, though, he quickly let go because he too must've noticed how late it was getting. Quickly, he stuck the last flyer on the utility pole and took off running toward the forest.

I thought for sure we'd be the last people there, so I was most surprised to see that the only people present were Yuzu, Youji, and the rest of Kiba's team. Kiba approached his teammates and voiced his concerns immediately. "Why have so few showed up?" he asked.

With his face obstructed by that cumbersome jacket and his eyes hidden behind those tacky glasses, Shino answered rather frankly, "People don't exactly come running when the name Ikuko Matsubara is mentioned. I was rather reluctant to come myself. Why, you ask? Because she has no consideration for other people."

_You're just mad I squashed that stupid bug!_

The incident happened while we were still students at the Academy. I was outside eating my lunch, completely minding my own business, when a creepy spider viciously attacked me! Thankfully, just before it could bite me, I crushed it with my bento box. Having seen the whole thing, Shino then approached me and gave me that silent, eerie stare that he liked to give all the time. Was he at all concerned about me? No, all he cared about was the stupid spider! It was self-defense, really; for all I knew, that thing could've been poisonous or something. Regardless, he never spoke to me again, which was just fine because he was a boy of few words anyway.

"Lee left a few minutes ago," Hinata said softly. "He said he forgot something at his house, but he should be back soon." Then she looked down at me and smiled warmly. "What a beautiful dog. I didn't know you got another dog."

"I found her a month ago," Kiba replied. "We're still looking for her owner."

"Oh, that was nice of you."

Out of nowhere, Shino squatted down right in front of me and lowered his sunglasses just enough to give me a clear view of his eyes. For a long time, he just stared at me with that creepy expression, which was only worsened by his scary, bug-like eyes. I felt like I was looking at that spider all over again.

Pushing up his sunglasses, Shino stood and said only one thing: "Very cute."

_Why is he so creepy? _I wondered as I slowly backed away from him. _How can Yuzu like someone like him?_

I didn't have to look at Yuzu to know she was staring at the creepy bug-boy, but when I did, it was even worse than I'd imagined. She was careful to hide her gaze just in case he caught her looking, but she couldn't take her eyes off him. The longer she stared, the redder her face got. She truly had the worst taste in men.

While we waited for Lee to return, Team Asuma and Team Kakashi finally showed up. Right away, my eyes went to Sai, who was looking extremely cute today. In the sunlight, it looked like his porcelain skin was glowing, as if he'd captured the sun itself. Still, even he became insignificant when I saw Neji appear with Tenten. In just a month, he'd grown even more handsome, which for anyone else would've been impossible, but for Neji nothing was impossible.

And on a less interesting note, Lee showed up too.

"Alright, everyone's here," he said with a pleased smile. "We'll definitely be able to find Ikuko now."

"Hmm?" Ino and her teammates exchanged perplexed looks. "But you said we were looking for Tenten's cat."

Now, Tenten looked confused. "I don't have a cat."

With that, everybody just began talking at once. Most of the discussion was between Team Asuma and Team Kakashi, who appeared to be the most confused by the situation. Already, this plan was lacking effective communication.

"He said her cat was missing."

"I was told it was a dog."

"No, Naruto, he specifically said a cat."

"I really wasn't paying attention, to be honest."

"This is how I'm spending my day off? How troublesome."

Suddenly, everyone turned to Lee, who was standing in the middle of the crowd, nervously fumbling with his fingers. "Well," he mumbled, "it was the only way I could get everyone to come. Nobody would've showed up if I'd said we were gonna look for Ikuko."

"That's because nobody likes her," Ino replied rather curtly. "I still remember that time she gave me those nutrition bars that made me gain five pounds."

_Well, I can't be blamed for your stupidity._

"Or the time she made me go home and change because I was wearing the same dress as her," Sakura added, crossing her arms over her chest.

_How was I supposed to get Sasuke to notice me if I didn't stand out? Besides, I bought my dress first._

"But one of our fellow ninja is missing!" Lee pleaded to everyone. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Sakura and Ino shared a brief glance before answering in perfect unison, "Not really."

"Look," Yuzu said, stepping forward, "I know you all have problems with Ikuko, but something bad has happened to her, and what kind of friends—err, classmates—would we be if we didn't help? Please, put all your personal feelings aside just for today. Tomorrow, you can all go back to hating her."

Well, that was the first time I'd ever seen Yuzu take charge, but as happy as I was for her, I couldn't help but be a little annoyed with her choice of words. Nobody hated me. Sure, the girls were jealous, but that was only natural. We all admired Sasuke, but he had eyes for only one girl, and that was me. They really needed to move on.

"Fine," Shikamaru said with a sigh, "I'll help look for her. I'm already out here anyway."

After him, everybody else quickly followed suit, even Sakura and Ino, who were probably more reluctant than everyone else.

"That's the spirit!" Lee cheered. "With everyone working together, we'll find Ikuko in no time! Now, I've made something for everyone to wear so that we can easily identify each other. Plus, it shows that we're all working toward a common goal."

Quickly, he bent down and, from this mysterious box, pulled out a white hachimaki with my name written on it. Now, I'd never been a fan of those things, particularly because they messed up my hair, but those looked most stylish!

"It's the official 'Ikuko Matsubara' hachimaki," he eagerly declared as he tied the headband around his head. "Who else wants one?"

I could literally hear crickets chirping, it was that quiet. Everybody looked absolutely horrified by the idea of putting on that piece of white fabric, even Hinata, who was normally so accommodating. I couldn't believe how rude they were all being! Lee had gone through the trouble of designing such a lovely piece of headgear, and they had the audacity to refuse it? Unforgivable!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuzu nudge her brother as she whispered, "Take one."

Youji's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me."

"She's our teammate."

"So? I'm not putting that thing on my head."

"Youji!"

"But it's so lame ..."

"_Youji!_"

"Oh, fine."

Yuzu and Youji became the first to accept Lee's hachimaki, though Youji looked like he wanted to tear it off the minute Lee tied it around his head.

With several more in his box, Lee then turned his focus to the rest of Konoha's young ninja, who looked even more unwilling than before. Oh, but Lee was persistent, something he must've learned from his sensei because, like Gai, his eyes bore right into the skull of every person there.

His teammates were the first to submit, but everyone else soon followed. Some tied it around their head, others their waist, a few opted for the arm or wrist, but all were wearing the lovely hachimaki dedicated to me. Luckily, Lee even had extras for me and Akamaru to wear.

"This is great!" Lee went on before starting this long speech that nobody was really listening to. Youji, for instance, was still messing around with his headband, Chōji was busy shoveling chips into his mouth, Ino was playing with her hair, Shikamaru was probably daydreaming, and Neji was looking extremely cool as he leaned against the tree behind Lee. I simply couldn't take my eyes off him. Even though he'd tied his hachimaki around his bicep, he still wore it better than anyone else.

Well, except for me.

"Hey, Kiba," Naruto suddenly asked, completely ignoring Lee's speech, "when did you get another dog?"

"Last month. We're still looking for her owner, actually."

"She's so cute!" Sakura squealed. "I wish my mother would let me get a dog. What's her name?"

"Ikuko."

Just like Youji, Naruto started laughing hysterically. "Ikuko? That's hilarious!"

Youji soon joined him. "I know, right?"

"Make her sit, Kiba!"

"Make her play dead!"

_I'll make you play dead_, I thought as I resisted the urge to rip both their heads off.

"If we all work together," Lee declared, finishing his speech, "we will succeed." Then he smiled and took a deep, satisfied breath. "Alright, let's split up into teams. Given their background in tracking and locating, Team Kurenai will act as team leaders. Hinata will lead Team Asuma and head south, Shino will lead Team Kakashi and head west, Kiba will lead Team Haruka and head east, and Team Gai will go north."

Once he'd given out all the assignments, Lee turned to his team and thrust his hand forward. "Let's bring it in, team." When he looked up, though, he saw that his team had already left, but that didn't seem to faze him one bit. "Let the search begin!"

As Team Gai departed, I wanted so badly to go with them, to stand by Neji's side as he searched high and low for me, but Kiba was calling for me, and I had no choice but to follow him.

"I've already searched the entire forest," Kiba said as we walked along. "Whatever trace there was is gone now. I can't even catch her scent anymore."

"You don't think she could be ...?" Yuzu's eyes were full of fear.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "She's not dead. We're gonna find her eventually." Then he forced a weak smile. "Come on, let's try asking around the village again."

And so we went into the village and visited every shop and restaurant that I'd ever stepped foot in, which was quite a lot. Unlike with Ikuko, the dog, people were much less eager to help. In fact, instead of helping, they seemed to prefer trashing my name. Obviously, nobody knew how to just let bygones be bygones.

"I don't know a thing about that girl's disappearance," one restaurant owner stated. "All I know is that she still owes me for all those free dinners she tricked me into giving her. Out of all my patrons, she was the only one who regularly found flies in her food. Once, she claimed she saw a rat, and I had to shut the place down for an inspection. Do you know how many customers I lost because of her?"

"Ikuko Matsubara," one shop owner recounted. "Well, she had a habit of returning garments after wearing them and insisting on a full refund because there was a stain or hole in the fabric that she swore was present before her purchase. I hate dealing with those types."

Yuzu backed away. "Well, thank you for your help."

Boy, were there some petty people in Konoha. A girl was missing, and all they could do was slam her for being a smart shopper? What terrible people!

After a few hours and several snide remarks, we returned to the forest, where everybody else was already waiting. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were just as unsuccessful as we were. Lee's search party, I knew, was a complete failure.

"Her scent has completely disappeared," Shino reported.

"We couldn't find her anywhere," Hinata said.

"It's been a month," Neji said suddenly, his tone darker than I'd ever heard before. "If the ANBU couldn't find her, nobody's going to find her. Perhaps it's time we accept the fact that she may very well be—"

"Don't say it," Kiba cut him off, his voice full of anger. "_Don't you dare say it!_ Ikuko's alive, and the last thing she needs is people like you trying to convince everyone otherwise. We can't give up! ... because the second we give up, we'll lose her."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could Kiba speak so rudely to Neji? He was just stating his opinion, after all, which was based on wisdom that Kiba would never possess. Oh, poor Neji.

Lee sighed and pulled off his hachimaki. "Well, good try, everyone. Let's call it a day."

"Come on, Ikuko," Kiba said solemnly as he turned to leave. "Let's go home."

When we returned to the Inuzuka house, Kiba's sister was just finishing dinner. She greeted her brother with a warm smile, but once she saw his gloomy expression, her eyes clouded with worry. "What's wrong?" she asked. "And what's that on your head?"

"Lee organized a search party for Ikuko," he replied, ripping off the hachimaki and clutching it tightly in his fist.

"That's right. I almost forgot she was missing."

"Yeah, everybody seems to have forgotten." Kiba sighed. "I'm not very hungry, so I'm just gonna go to bed, okay?"

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he muttered as he walked into his bedroom with Akamaru following close behind.

Hana turned her attention to me. "Are you skipping dinner, too?"

_Yeah, I don't have much of an appetite._

Kiba was already lying on the floor with Akamaru when I entered his bedroom. Whether or not he was actually asleep, I couldn't be sure, but he was certainly quiet. As I approached his bed, I noticed the hachimaki resting on top of his dresser. Now, it hadn't been just tossed there; it had been neatly set down—I could tell just from the positioning. Actually, it was practically the only neat thing in his room.

"Ikuko," Kiba grumbled as he rolled over, "stop being a pain and come back already. I promise I'll never let Akamaru bother you again ... Just come back ..."

_Is he sleeping?_ I wondered, moving closer to him. I watched steadily as his chest rose and fell, quiet snores drifting from his open mouth. He was asleep after all, but why had he said those things? Why would he care if I ever came back anyway?

As I pondered this, I saw him shiver a little from the cold air. The idiot had knocked his blanket away with all his tossing and turning. Since I didn't want to listen to his teeth chattering all night, I carefully took the end of the blanket into my mouth and pulled it back over him.

_Stupid fleabag._

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><p><strong>Aww, Ikuko was being nice ... kind of. This is the last chapter of the original story, so new chapters will start next. I'm gonna work on the next one now, so hopefully it will be finished soon. Thanks for reading!<br>**


	9. Spilled Milk

**Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Spilled Milk<strong>

"Oh, Neji-kun, I just knew you'd win!" I declared as I hugged the handsome ninja tightly. It had been a tough battle, but Neji managed to come out on top, just like I thought he would. He held me close to his chest, and I inhaled his scent. "I'm so happy, I could die."

"No, don't say that," Neji said, gently pulling away so that he could stare into my eyes. "If anything ever happened to you, I could never forgive myself. Never, I'll never let you go."

My cheeks flushed. "Oh, Neji-kun ..."

He placed his hand beneath my chin and tilted my head up. "Ikuko, stay by my side."

"I'll never leave your side," I promised as his face came closer. _This is it_, I realized. _I'm finally going to get my first kiss. Somehow, I always knew it would be like this ... _

Slowly, I let my eyelids fall. My heart was pounding so loud I feared he might hear it, but then everything fell quiet when his lips touched mine in a sweet, gentle kiss. He lips were so soft I could barely feel them, and when he took them away, I was left with an empty feeling in my heart, and all I wanted to do was bring them back.

Smiling, I opened my eyes, hoping to find Neji smiling back at me.

Well, someone was definitely smiling, but it certainly wasn't Neji. For some reason, my warped fantasy had decided to play a cruel trick on me and replace Neji with the smelly fleabag Kiba. The mutt-lover was gazing down at me with a sickening expression that could only be described as love, and worse yet, no matter how much I fought it, I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.

I clutched my head in desperation and cried, "Wake up, wake up. Please, wake up!"

I forced my eyes open and jumped up from Kiba's bed in a fright. That was by far the worst nightmare I'd ever had. I could still smell him and feel his skin and taste his lips. Oh, I would need to soak my tongue in acid to get rid of that awful taste. I'd spent so much time in this horrible house it was starting to ruin my dreams!

_My first kiss was with the fleabag? _I shuddered and shook my head back and forth to rid myself of the memories, but they wouldn't go away no matter how hard I tried. Quickly, I started to become dizzy and nearly toppled off the bed, but I managed to catch myself at the last minute.

_I need to get out of here ..._

But it didn't seem like I was going to be leaving any time soon. While Father had sent the ANBU to look for me, their efforts had greatly lessened in the passing weeks, and now it seemed like they'd given up entirely. Lee also hadn't organized another search party since his last failed attempted, and even Yuzu had stopped coming around. More depressing still, I hadn't yet figured out how to get my body back. I wasn't even close to solving that riddle.

Stricken with depression, I dropped down from the bed and made my way into the kitchen. The Inuzuka house was eerily silent this morning, so silent that the only thing I could hear was my claws ticking against the wood.

_Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick. _

I searched the house for any member of the family, even Kiba despite my anger towards him, but he was gone too. Everybody was gone—and Kiba hadn't even left my breakfast out for me.

I growled and knocked the empty dish around with my nose. _If he keeps slacking off on his responsibilities, I'm gonna starve!_

But the empty house did have its advantages. Since Kiba's mother was gone, that meant her warm, snuggly bed was vacant, just waiting for me nap on it. Maybe if I slept in a more comfortable bed, I would have better dreams. It was certainly worth a shot.

Abandoning the empty food dish, I made my way toward her bedroom, imagining those soft feather pillows and warm blankets holding me gently in naptime bliss. But when I reached her closed door, that fantasy shattered into a million pieces. Turns out, she'd adopted a closed-door policy after finding one of my copper-red hairs on her pillowcase.

Grunting, I threw my head against the door in defeat. _This is the worst day ever!_

With nothing left to do, I walked aimlessly around the house, searching for some kind of entertainment. For a moment, I considered tearing up Kiba's bed sheets, but that would have only made my sleeping conditions uncomfortable. Then I contemplated chewing up his shoes, but I didn't want to have the taste of his smelly feet in my mouth all day, so I quickly abandoned that idea as well.

My wandering legs brought me all the way to the back of the house, where I noticed the door was wide open. Kiba had left the back door open again, something he did so frequently his mother was running out of ways to punish him. But at least I was able to go outside.

The morning sun was high in the sky, showering its warmth over the grassy yard. I lay there for a long time, basking in the sunlight, something I would have never done as a human, but as a dog, I found it quite relaxing. Next to me lay the partially bitten stick that Kiba had once used in an attempt to get me to play with him. For hours, he threw the stick around the yard, saying, "Go get it, Ikuko. Bring back the stick!" But I never got it, not once, and finally Mogu snatched the twig from the ground before Kiba could grab it. Those bite marks were all his, so I didn't want to touch it, not even to move it out of the way.

Speaking of that little white hairball, where was he anyway? Where were all the little demon puppies? Normally, they would be crawling all over me and trying to get me to play with them, and Mogu would be trying to nibble on my tail and ride me like a horse. Where were they? Their absence was suspicious, too suspicious.

I rose to my feet and scanned the area with narrow eyes. The air was calm; a light breeze blew across the yard, gently bending the tall blades of grass to its every whim. Behind me, the trees rustled quietly and shed a few of their leaves, letting them float to the ground. One leaf drifted down to a small bush that seemed to quiver from more than the wind.

I smirked. _Mogu, that little monster ..._

I stealthily crept toward the trembling bush. Normally, that little terror was the aggressor, but today the tables were about to turn. _Let's see how he likes it_, I thought as I closed the distance between us.

Quickly, before he had a chance to run away, I jumped around to the other side of the bush. _Aha! Caught you!_

But he wasn't there. Nobody was there.

_What the ...? _My eyes widened as a startling realization hit me. _This is a trap!_

The white puppy came flying out of nowhere, paws extended, tongue flapping outside of his mouth. At the last second, I managed to duck, and he went right over me, landing on all fours a few feet away. Mogu turned around and barked once, signaling the start of play. Whether I wanted to or not, I had no choice but to play their game, so I took off running across the yard.

Mogu chased at my tail while the other two puppies emerged at both flanks, and they all took turns trying to pounce. Mari tried to take my back but came up short; Maya vaulted clean over me and crashed into her sister; and all the while Mogu never gave up the chase. He was preparing to make his jump when I dove into the house through back door, nails screeching once they hit the wood. Slipping with every step, I bounded down the hall and around the corner, making a run for the kitchen with the trio of puppies close behind.

Kiba's mother was just entering the room with groceries when I came sliding into the kitchen. As soon as she saw me, she made this strange moaning sound in an attempt to get me to stop. Really, I tried to stop, but I was going too fast and the floor was too slick, so there was nothing I could do to stop us from colliding.

I slammed into her, knocking her legs out from under her, and she crashed to the ground. Her bags of groceries were up in the air for a few seconds, and then they, along with their contents, also hit the ground. A carton of milk popped open and sprayed milk onto the floor, creating a nice little puddle for the rice, meat, and vegetables to soak in. She had tried to save the carton of eggs, but when she fell, the carton opened and ... well ... needless to say, she was out of eggs now.

The puppies came sliding in soon after, Mogu first, followed by his sisters. One by one, they all tried to stop, but they all failed, and soon they were spinning across the floor like little tops. One, two, three! They smacked right into me and started barking excitedly.

Once the chaos was over, I kept my eyes to the ground, too scared to look up at Kiba's mother, but I could hear her huffing and puffing with anger. The puppies took off running right away, but not before licking up some of the spilled milk from the floor. I tried to follow them, but Kiba's mother stopped me with a firm grip.

"Ikuko ..." she growled, and her face was so red she probably could have cooked the eggs that were dripping down her face.

_She might actually kill me this time_, I realized.

Thankfully, before she had the chance to tear me apart, Kiba entered the kitchen with Akamaru. At first, he tried to keep a serious face, but little by little, his composure started to crack, and he busted out laughing. His reaction probably saved my life because now his mother was more angry with him than me.

"You think this is funny?" she yelled as she struggled to her feet, and Kiba stopped laughing immediately. "Well, you can clean up after her then—and then you're going to the market for more groceries!" Fuming, she stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of egg yolks and rice behind her. "_And stop leaving the back door open!_"

Kiba groaned and kicked the kitchen table leg. "Now I have to go shopping? Man ..." He kicked the table again.

Kiba spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the kitchen, while I spent the morning picking little grains of rice out of my fur. Once the kitchen had reached his mother's standard of clean, she sent him out for more groceries. I decided to go along with him because, well, I didn't have the strength to face his mother after the mess I'd made.

"This is not how I wanted to spend my day off," he complained as we strolled down the road.

He'd just returned from a week-long mission the night before, and when he came home, he was too tired to even greet me properly. He didn't pet me or anything! He just crashed right to the floor and went to sleep. I understood that he was exhausted and everything, but I had been suffering too. With him gone, I had to spend the whole week with his mother, and her food wasn't nearly as good as his. Just for that, I'd decided to give him the silent treatment today.

"You know, keep this up and she'll never let you stay," Kiba went on with a laugh as he looked down at me, but I just kept my eyes forward. "Huh? What's your problem? I should be the angry one."

I sped up my pace a little and moved in front of him.

"Ikuko? Come on, Ikuko." He sighed. "Oh, I know what this is about ... You're mad because I left you alone all week. You thought I'd abandoned you, didn't you?"

He ran around me and blocked my path, squatting down to my eye-level.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I'll try not be gone so long next time. But we can spend the whole day together ..." He searched my brown eyes for a sign of forgiveness and then sweetened the deal. "... and I'll make you a special dinner, with the beef you like so much." He held out his hand, palm up and wide open. "So am I off the hook? Hmm?"

I thought over his proposal and placed my paw on his hand. _Fine._

Kiba smiled. "That's my girl."

_Your girl? _I suddenly thought back to my dream and a sick feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. _Gross!_

"Alright," Kiba went on upon standing, "let's get these groceries out of the way, so we can have some fun."

On our way to the market, Kiba noticed one of his flyers posted on the shop window. Grinning, he made a gesture toward it and then turned and said to me, "It's been two weeks and nobody has claimed you yet. You know what that means? You're one step closer to becoming an official member of the Inuzuka family. Isn't that great?"

_A member of the Inuzuka family? ... Your girl? ... I don't know if I like this._

We'd just passed the shop when I noticed a girl with long black hair poke her head out from around the corner just ahead of us. She was standing in the alley, the same alley I'd used for the sneak attack on Sasuke that went horribly wrong. Over and over again, she kept peeking out and ducking back in like a gopher. Finally, just as we were about to pass the alley, she came running out and collided gently into Kiba's chest.

Stumbling back a few paces, Kiba caught her and held her steady by the waist. "Whoa! Are you okay, Chiyomi?"

Blushing deeply, the girl looked up at him with her shimmering green eyes. "Yes, I'm alright," she answered in a voice barely above a whisper. "Are you alright?"

"Uhh ... Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, finally pulling away from her.

But I certainly wasn't fine. I was incredibly pissed off! Who was she? And what did she think she was doing using my trick? That was my brilliant idea—I'd invented it! And now she had the nerve to use it on Kiba, pulling that sweet and innocent act, but I could see right through it.

Chiyomi, the rotten thief, looked right at me then and squealed with delight. "What an adorable dog!" she said as she bent down to pet me. "What's her name?"

"Ikuko."

"Ikuko?" she repeated, her eyes wide. "As in ... Ikuko Matsubara?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, she reminds me of her, I guess."

Chiyomi giggled obnoxiously. "Yes, I suppose she does. How clever of you to notice that."

_How clever, indeed_, I mocked, rolling my eyes. _Oh, she's pathetic._

As the stupid girl stepped back, I noticed something oddly familiar about her wardrobe. She was wearing a dark green knee-length dress with white floral print. It was a very expensive looking dress, and a very, very rare dress. In fact, there was only one in existence. How did I know this? Because that dress was custom made for my fifteenth birthday! Chiyomi was nothing more than a petty thief, and the dress didn't even look good on her!

"Well, we need to get going," Kiba said as he took a step forward, but Chiyomi quickly grabbed his arm.

"Please," she said desperately, too desperately, "let me make this up to you."

"Hmm? Make what up to me?"

"Running into you so rudely. Let me make it up to you, okay? I'll treat you to lunch."

Again, my trick! Had this girl been stalking me and taking notes or something? Did she have any ideas of her own? But I knew Kiba wasn't going to accept such a silly invitation. After all, he was supposed to be spending the day with me, so he wasn't about to ditch me for some dress-stealing wannabe. No, I wasn't worried at all.

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I am kind of hungry."

_WHAT? _My head started spinning with confusion.

"Great! Let's go eat then." She wrapped her arms around his bicep and held him close as she dragged him along. "We'll go to Oshiro's."

_Oshiro's? But that's the place where lovers dine!_ I could picture the two of them sitting at their own table in the back corner of the restaurant, sharing a delectable dessert. Beside the soft, romantic glow of candlelight, Chiyomi would finally confess her feelings ... at least according to my plan for Sasuke, and since she was copying me, I could only assume she was going to do the same with Kiba—and in my dress!

_Not if I can help it! _I declared as I chased after them, and Akamaru was right behind me.

Oshiro's was a very classy establishment that didn't allow animals, so we set up watch outside one of the windows. To get a better look, I rose onto my hind legs, placed my paws on the glass, and peered through the window into the quiet restaurant. It took me a while, but eventually I found them sitting on the other side of the dining room, engaged in what appeared to be pleasant conversation, but of course I couldn't hear them.

_In my dress ... She's eating in my dress. She better not stain it!_

On the other side of me, I heard a strange scraping noise, like tiny claws scratching against wood. When I looked down, I saw that sneaky little Mogu up on his hind legs, clawing at the siding, desperately trying to reach the window. Eventually, he gave up and, instead, decided to climb on top of me and use my back like a window seat. His claws certainly hurt when they dug into my skin, but I was too focused to care.

It was quite a sight, actually, to see three dogs staring through a window, and many patrons noticed. Most smiled and laughed, while others seemed a bit annoyed, but luckily nobody voiced any complaints.

_Ugh, I can't hear anything!_

While Kiba slurped from his soup bowl, Chiyomi just kept smiling, talking, laughing, and playing with her hair. Occasionally, she would reach across the table and lightly touch his arm, but he never responded the way she wanted him to. In fact, the last time she did it, he just pulled his arm away. When a bit of soup had dripped down his chin, though, she rather boldly wiped his chin with her fingers, and Kiba's face turned bright red.

My eyes bulged. _What are you doing? Don't let her touch you!_

I couldn't stand watching them any longer. That wretched girl was sitting in my restaurant, wearing my dress, and flirting with ... well Kiba, but that wasn't really bothering me, even though this was supposed to be my day with him.

Suddenly, just when I thought I would explode from anger, Mogu jumped off my back and took off running. He barked at me only once, but somehow I knew it meant he wanted me to follow him, so I did. He brought me around to the back of the restaurant. The door was wide open, allowing the wonderful aroma of beef, pork, and chicken to fill the air. Better still, I would finally be able to hear what Kiba and Chiyomi were talking about.

Like the faithful dog he was, Akamaru stayed by the window while Mogu and I snuck into the restaurant. Keeping close to the ground, crawling on all fours, we slowly crept through the kitchen, careful not to be seen, and slipped into the dining room. From there, we quietly made our way toward their table. Lucky for us, we were able to find a fairly secluded table that gave us a clear view of Kiba and Chiyomi. The table was in the middle of the restaurant, right in front of the divider that separated the two halves of the dining room. Mogu and I huddled close together and anxiously watched them from beneath the table.

"Would you like to get dessert?" Chiyomi asked, curling her hair around her finger. "The cake here is delicious, I've heard. We can share."

_Cake? To share?_

"Umm ... Sure, I guess." He shifted a little in his chair. "If you want some."

She smiled. "I love cake."

_Yeah, keep eating that cake, you cow!_

For just a moment, I glanced to my left, expecting to see Mogu next to me, but the little demon had vanished. Just when I was about to panic, I caught sight of his little white paws climbing up onto the table, using the back of the chair like a ladder. Backing up, I peeked above the tabletop and saw Mogu munching on a piece of leftover chicken teriyaki. Once finished, he moved on to a bowl of soup.

Quickly, just before a server came by, I jumped up, grabbed Mogu by the collar, and pulled him back under the table with me; and in case he tried to do it again, I held his tail down with my paw. Then I returned my attention to the dining couple, wondering what I'd missed.

"Kiba-kun," Chiyomi said, looking away to hide her blushing face, "there's something I need to tell you."

_Oh, no! She's going to confess!_

As her lips quivered, trying to say those life-changing words that I didn't want to hear, I felt Mogu struggling against my grasp, and my hold was quickly lessening.

"Kiba-kun ... I ... I ..."

Mogu suddenly broke free and shot off like a rocket, leaping onto their table and crashing into their dishes. Chiyomi let out a shriek that brought everyone's attention to her, and Kiba just started laughing. I came out from the table then, and Kiba noticed me right away. "Why am I not surprised?" he said, shaking his head.

"What is going on here?" the manager yelled as he came towards us, red-faced with anger. "No dogs in the dining hall!" And when he saw Mogu on the table, he tried to snatch him up right away, but Kiba quickly grabbed him.

"He's my dog," Kiba said. "I'll take care of him."

Then the manager looked down at me. "And what about this one?"

Kiba sighed. "She's mine, too."

_Yeah, I'm his ... Wait, what?_

Because of Mogu's insatiable appetite, I was officially banned from Oshiro's along with Kiba and Chiyomi. As we walked out of the restaurant, Mogu still licking his sticky lips, Chiyomi was right behind us. That girl was like some pesky fly that wouldn't stop buzzing around, and all I wanted to do was squash her.

"You never got your dessert," she said to Kiba as she chased after him.

"Yeah, but I have to go," he replied, keeping a steady stride. "I have errands to run for my mother."

"Oh ..." Her pace slowed a little but then quickly sped up again. "Then how about tonight? We can have a picnic in the park, and I'll bring the dessert."

"I dunno ..."

"Please!" She grabbed his arm to stop him. "I won't ask for anything else, I swear."

_Girl, can't you take a hint? _I thought as I glared at her fingers, which were inching dangerously close to his hand. _He's not interested!_

Kiba pulled his arm away from her, but instead of telling her to take a hike, like he should have, he said, "Okay, fine."

"Really?" Chiyomi beamed.

_Really? _I thought, but with much less enthusiasm than Chiyomi. Confused, I stared up at Kiba, wondering what he was doing saying yes to something like that. He didn't seem interested in her at all, so why would he agree to go on a date with her? Especially her, of all people!

_Kiba, why?_

* * *

><p><strong>So Kiba's got himself a date, and Ikuko's not happy about it. Keep reading to find out how his date goes!<strong>


	10. The Green-Eyed Monster

**Sorry, this took longer than expected. I was a little busy these last few days. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: The Green-Eyed Monster <strong>

"Alright, Ikuko," Kiba said as he set down my special beef dinner. "Just as promised, a delicious dinner made specially for you. I think I really outdid myself this time. This may be the greatest meal I've ever made—I'm almost jealous of you."

He chuckled at little at his own joke, but I certainly didn't find it amusing. Today, his arrogance annoyed me more than usual. I didn't even want to look the meal he'd prepared, and I certainly wasn't going to eat it either.

"Huh?" Kiba's smile dropped immediately. "What's wrong? We made a deal, remember? You said you would forgive me if I made you a special meal, and here it is."

_Yeah_, I thought, _and you also said we would spend the whole day together, and we didn't. And now you're leaving again! ... going on some picnic with an ugly, dress-stealing cow. A dog dish full of beef is supposed to make me forgive you?_

"It smells good," he insisted. "I bet it tastes even better."

_I'll tell you what it smells like: betrayal._

He frowned. "Come on, Ikuko, I made this just for you. I worked really hard on it, too." He nudged my dish toward me. "Please, eat it."

I turned my head away from both him and the dish—mostly him.

"What's your problem?" he said, his tone rising in anger. "You said you'd forgiven me, so what's with the silent treatment? – Ikuko! – You know, after that stunt you pulled at the restaurant, you should be the one making me dinner ..."

Oh, that was the last straw! Holding my head up proudly, I rose to my feet, turned around, and gave the food dish a strong kick with my back leg. I heard the dish cling and clang, and I heard Kiba gasp, but I didn't bother to turn around and see the damage I'd caused. Instead, I just left the kitchen.

"Ikuko, come back here!" Kiba shouted. "You can't just walk away from me! ... Ikuko!"

Ignoring his cries for me to stop, I walked into his bedroom, jumped onto his bed, and curled up beside his pillow. He entered the room in a fit, smelling of beef and dripping with it, too. Marking his black pants was a huge wet stain, and clinging from his cheeks were bits of rice and vegetables. Normally, I would laugh at a sight like that, but not tonight. I laid my head on his pillow as he dropped to his knees beside me.

"What's wrong, Ikuko?" he asked, calming his temper. "What did I do? You've been acting strange since we got back from the restaurant ..."

His lips slowly curled into a smirk. "Oh, I get it ... You're jealous, aren't you?"

My head jerked up from the pillow. _JEALOUS? – ME? – OF THAT UGLY COW? – LIKE YOU'RE ANYTHING SPECIAL!_

Kiba laughed. "You're used to having me all to yourself, aren't you? And now that another girl has come along, you can't handle the competition."

_Oh, she can have you! - All I want is my dress back!_

He placed his hand on my head and ruffled my fur. "That's so cute," he went on, chuckling to himself. "This is a side of you I've never seen before."

Pulling away, I turned around and gave my back to him.

"Ikuko? Come on, Ikuko ... " He let out a sigh. "Fine, we'll talk when I get back. I should start getting ready anyway."

As soon as I heard him leave the room, I sunk deep into his sheets and laid my head down.

_Jealous, yeah right! Why would I be jealous? He's rude, and he smells like a dog—and he's not even that good looking! I'm saving myself for a cool, mature man, like Neji. So let that fleabag go on his stupid date, let him eat all the cake he wants while that stupid dress-stealer stares at him from beneath the moonlight ... and tries to ..._

A loud tearing sound parted me from my thoughts, and when I looked down, I realized that my claws had torn through his bed sheets.

_Whoops._

I sat there for a while, alone with my annoying thoughts and a torn bed sheet, and when I heard Kiba enter his room again, I couldn't help but sneak a look. He was wearing his standard jacket, that tacky black one that always reeked of wet dog, but tonight it didn't look half bad, and he smelled ... like a human, almost.

"I'll be back soon," he said to Akamaru, who was lying on his bedroom floor. Then he looked over at me and gave a small smile. "I'll see you later, Ikuko."

His mother and sister were still drinking tea in the kitchen when he walked by.

"Are you leaving for your date now?" his mother asked, her harsh voice carrying an undeniable mocking tone.

"For the last time, it's not a date!" Kiba growled back.

_A moonlight picnic in the park isn't a date to you? _I angrily thought._ What else would you call that?_

"Does Chiyomi know that?" Hana asked.

"That's not my problem," he replied.

"Kiba, it's rude to toy with the hearts of young women," Hana went on in a gentle voice. "If you don't return her feelings, you have to tell her the truth."

"That's right," his mother chimed in. "I didn't raise you to be so disrespectful towards women. You should know better than that!"

"Ehhh? Why is everyone ganging up on me tonight?" Kiba shouted. "I didn't do anything wrong! She asked me to go on a picnic, just a picnic, and I said yes because I thought if I'd said no, you'd all get mad and think I'm inconsiderate or something."

"Don't use us as an excuse," his mother chided. "You should always be honest with people. You're doing her no favors by lying to her. That's inconsiderate."

"... There's no winning with you two," he grumbled.

"Now you're learning," Hana said with a light laugh. "Just be honest with her, Kiba. She's young; she'll get over it. Girls are resilient like that."

"There's always somebody else," his mother added.

"What are you saying, that I'm just another rung in the ladder?"

"Exactly," Hana replied. "But for one girl, you'll be the last rung, so don't worry."

"That doesn't really make me feel better ..." Kiba groaned. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Good luck!" Hana said cheerfully.

Once I heard the front door shut, I stepped down from his bed and slowly made my way into the kitchen. The two women were laughing and talking amongst themselves when I entered the room.

"I don't know how I feel about him dating right now," his mother said. "This one may be a false alarm, but he's bound to meet someone eventually." She dropped her head into her hands. "I just hope it's a nice girl with a good head on her shoulders."

"I'm not worried," Hana replied with a smile. "He's a smart kid ... Well, I guess he's not a kid anymore, is he?" She giggled quietly to herself and took a sip of her tea. "Still, I'm glad he's going out again. He's been so depressed lately, with Ikuko's disappearance and all. I think he's more bothered by it than he likes to let on."

"Ikuko, that's another issue ... With all the trouble she gave him, you'd think he'd be happier with her gone."

"Perhaps it's more complicated than that."

At those words, Kiba's mother let her head fall and hit the table. "Oh, I hope not," she groaned.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of my food dish sitting right where I'd left it, but the remains of my violent outburst had been cleaned up and replaced with a fresh meal. As I made my way over to the dish, I heard his mother say, "And this one, he spoils her too much."

I ate the special meal he'd prepared, every last bit of it, and with every bite, I could tell that he really had worked hard on it, just as he'd said. It was a delicious meal, probably the best I'd ever had in my life. It was as if he'd put his whole heart into it.

_Now I'm even more depressed_, I quickly realized as I lay down next to my empty food dish. With sad eyes, I watched the clock tick away second by second. It was a quarter past seven now, which meant Kiba was probably with Chiyomi right now, eating a dessert that she'd put her heart into ...

_I can't let that happen! _I decided and quickly went into action. Akamaru was fast asleep when I entered Kiba's bedroom, so I placed my front paws on his side and tried to shake him awake. _Wake up, you stupid mutt! Your partner is in danger! _After a few more shakes, the sleeping hound stirred, let out a yawn, and then rolled onto his other side.

_Stupid dog!_

I attempted to shake him again, but he still didn't wake, so then, with no other options left, I decided to take a page out of Mogu's book. Temporarily forgetting my dignity, I stepped behind Akamaru and watched his white tail gently wag back and forth as he slept.

_Do I really want to do this? _I asked myself. Just the thought made me sick, but I had no choice. Slowly, and very reluctantly, I caught Akamaru's tail with my teeth and bit down as hard as I could.

Akamaru sprang up from the ground and sprinted out of the room like I'd lit a fire behind him. I quickly caught up to him just as he was nearing the front door, and once there, we both started barking as loud as we could.

_"Hurry up! We don't have much time!"_

Hana walked over to us while drying her hands on the white apron tied around her waist. "What is it, you two?"

_"Just open the door!"_

"Okay, okay." She quickly opened the front door for us and stepped to the side. "Go ahead."

Barking, Akamaru dashed out the door and sped off into the darkness. I had to work really hard just to keep up with him, but it was worth it because I knew he was going to bring me to Kiba. Akamaru always knew where Kiba was, always. It was like the two of them were connected, as weird as that sounded.

We were about halfway across the yard when Mogu decided to join us. That little white furball was running so fast his legs were almost invisible to my eyes. Normally, I would discourage the puppy's attempts to join in, but tonight perhaps he would come in handy. I maintained a pace fast enough to hold the racing Akamaru in my sights but still slow enough for Mogu to keep up.

Together, we would have justice!

... right after Akamaru finished doing his business.

I stood behind one of the bushes while Akamaru relieved himself. _Honestly, he couldn't have worse timing,_ I thought as I waited for him, growing more impatient by the second. Next to me, Mogu was nipping at the bush, pulling back mouthful after mouthful of tiny leaves and spitting them onto the ground.

_This is such a flawed team ... Kiba's date will be over long before we even find him!_

Then, just as I was about to give up hope, I heard voices in the distance. Chiyomi's high-pitched, nasally voice was impossible to ignore. Turns out, Akamaru had successfully led the way after all, but there was no time to thank him. Quickly, with Mogu following close behind, I ran through the forest until I reached a small clearing, where Kiba and Chiyomi were sitting upon a large blanket. A beautiful full moon was shining high above them, creating such a romantic atmosphere that I was actually starting to become jealous.

_I want to go on a date here, too!_ I thought. _It's so romantic, the perfect place for a young girl's first kiss, ... but I don't even have anyone to kiss yet. I'm so unlucky in love ..._

Mogu and I, later joined by Akamaru, hid in the trees and watched the young couple continue their moonlight picnic. In typical Chiyomi fashion, she'd stolen yet another one of my dresses, a beautiful red one with a cute little bow. I was so angry I nearly ran over and ripped it right off her body!

"Thank you for agreeing to come," Chiyomi said. "Honestly, I thought you would say no."

"Yeah ..." Kiba reached back and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I ..."

"You must be hungry," Chiyomi interrupted before reaching into her basket and pulling out a slice of cake. "Here," she said, pushing it toward him, "I baked it myself."

Kiba's eyes widened. "Really?" With his fork, he ate a piece of Chiyomi's cake. "It's delicious."

"Really?" She blushed deeply. "Thank you so much! I really love baking."

_And stealing people's clothes_, I added.

As Kiba ate the rest of his cake, Chiyomi moved closer and closer to him, inch by inch, until she was nearly sitting on his lap. When he finally looked away from his cake, Kiba seemed a little startled by her closeness, but he tried not to show it on his face. Instead, he casually scooted away from her, much to Chiyomi's dismay.

"How's that puppy of yours?" Chiyomi asked, trying to cover up her frown with a smile. "He seemed a little shaken at the restaurant."

"Mogu? Oh, he's fine. He's fearless."

"He's really adorable, isn't he? I heard your sister found him at the clinic, is that right?"

"Yeah, he and his sisters were dropped off in a box. We're still looking for people to adopt them, actually."

Chiyomi's face lit up. "Well, I'd love to take him! I've always wanted a dog!"

As if he understood, Mogu whimpered a little and hid behind me. He had nothing to worry about, though, because I certainly wasn't going to let that little dress-stealing witch have him. If she even tried to touch him, I was going to bite off her hand.

"Well, he's a bit of a handful," Kiba said. "I really don't think you could handle him. I can barely handle him as it is."

"Oh? Well, what about Ikuko? She's such a lovely dog ... If you don't find her owner, I'd be more than happy to take her."

I wanted to throw up. _Like I'd ever live with you!_

"Actually," Kiba said, "I was planning on keeping her myself if nobody claims her ..."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Chiyomi squealed. "You really care for her, don't you?"

Kiba laughed a little, a nervous, shy laugh. "Well, she's a real pain most of the time, really gets under my skin like no other, but there's just something about her, I guess ... I can't really explain it ..."

_I could say the same about you_, I thought. _You irritate me more than anyone else._

"I still can't believe you would name her after Ikuko Matsubara," Chiyomi went on. "That sweet dog shouldn't be associated with such a horrible girl. Really, Kiba-kun, that's so cruel of you."

_Horrible? At least I don't steal people's clothes! _

I wanted to go over there and tear her apart with my claws, but Kiba beat me to the punch. His voice came so unexpectedly and carried such a harsh tone that I almost couldn't believe it was Kiba's.

"What do you know?" he said, throwing her a fierce glare. "You know nothing about Ikuko, so you have no right to judge her!"

Chiyomi's eyes widened as she struggled to form words. "But it's not just me. Nobody likes her. Everybody's glad she's gone, even her—"

Kiba suddenly rose to his feet, fists shaking with anger. "You know what? Girls like you piss me off! One of your classmates goes missing, and your first thought is to buy all her clothes like she's dead already! _She's not dead!_"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Chiyomi bought my clothes? Impossible! That would mean Mother had sold them to her, and she would never do such a thing. No, Chiyomi stole them; I was sure of it!

"Kiba-kun ..." Chiyomi covered her mouth with her hand.

"You don't know what it's like," he muttered as he sank back to his knees. "You don't know what it's like to be abandoned by a parent."

_My parents haven't abandoned me, _I thought. _They're really worried about me! They probably can't sleep from worrying so much!_

But then I began to realize that Kiba wasn't just talking about me. The pain on his face was deeper than that, I sensed, much deeper and more personal. _What did happen to his father? _I couldn't help but wonder. _Why did he leave? _Kiba never acted like it bothered him, but it must have for him to react like this. For the first time, I actually felt sad for the fleabag.

"I'm sorry, Kiba-kun," Chiyomi said as she reached out and grabbed his hand. "I shouldn't have said those things; and I'll take back the dresses right away ... You see, I only wanted to look my best for you." Her voice was shaking, but still she went on. "You see, I've liked you for a long time ... as long as I can remember, actually. I only wanted to ... to ..."

Slowly, Chiyomi began to lean forward, her pale pink lips slightly puckered, and Kiba just sat there with wide eyes, like he had no idea what to do.

Honestly, I don't know what came over me. I was just so angry about the dresses and all the mean comments, I kind of lost control. One minute, I was watching them, and the next, I was right in front of them, glaring and growling at Chiyomi with a ferocity I didn't know I possessed.

Chiyomi shrieked and jumped back. "She's a demon dog! She's gonna kill me! She's gonna kill me!" After staggering to her feet, she pointed a finger at me and cried, "She has rabies, I know it! She wants to eat me!" Then her cries turned to ear-piercing screams again when Mogu decided to use her as a chew toy. The white puppy jumped up and clamped onto the sleeve of her dress and refused to let go no matter how many times she shook it.

"Get it off! Get it off!"

Although he was ripping my dress, I couldn't help but feel proud watching him. And when she finally shook him off and flung him to the ground, I became a little angry.

_Hey, I'm the only one who gets to do that!_

"Chiyomi, I'm sorry," Kiba said upon standing. "I don't know what's gotten into them."

"Stay away from me!" she screamed at him. "I never want to see you again! You did that on purpose, I know it! You sent your monster dogs to attack me! I hate you, I hate you!" Then she turned and fled, leaving behind her picnic basket and blanket.

After a few minutes of silence, Kiba finally muttered, "Well, that went better than expected." And when Akamaru finally emerged, he let out a laugh. "Akamaru, did you bring them here to save me?" He knelt down and let Akamaru lick his cheek. "Thank you, Akamaru."

_No need to thank me or anything ... even though I did most of the work._

Kiba looked at me then and smiled. "And I suppose I should thank you as well, huh?" He came over to me and gently massaged my neck with his fingers. "Your jealousy saved me a lot of work tonight."

_Jealousy? _I pulled away from him. _Jealousy had nothing to do with it! I was just saving you from a bad situation. Even you could do better than her ..._

"Eh?" He grinned. "Still don't wanna admit you're jealous? There's no point in hiding it, Ikuko, so save yourself the trouble and just admit it—you like me."

_It's not true! _I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

Smirking, he turned to walk away. "If this is what it takes to get you to admit your true feelings, I should go on dates more often."

_I said, I wasn't jealous—and I don't like you! _To make my point clear, I snuck up behind him, rose onto my hind legs, and shoved him forward with all the strength I could muster. Stuttering, the fleabag crashed face-first to the ground. _Ha! Take that!_

"Is that the best you got, Ikuko?" Chuckling, he quickly got back on his feet. "It's cowardly to attack an opponent from behind."

_Oh, really? _While he stood there smirking, I jumped up and pushed him again, even harder than the last time. He lost his balance, and I landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground with my paws. _Take it back, you jerk!_

"Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kiba finally said with a laugh. "I won't go on any more dates, I promise." Smiling, he reached up to pet my head. "You're the only girl for me."

_... That's not what I meant. _If I'd had my human face back, my cheeks would have been burning bright red like a tomato. There was something strange about the way he was smiling at me, and it was making me feel weird. _My heart is pounding so fast_, I thought. _What is this feeling?_

Suddenly, I heard a wolf's howl in the distance, bringing my pounding heart to a stop. Startled, I looked to the night sky and stared fearfully at the full moon.

"Are you scared of wolves, Ikuko?" Kiba gently stroked my fur, and I calmed down a little. "Don't worry, I won't let them get you." His smiling face made all my fears go away, but then my heart started to race again.

_What's going on?_ I wondered.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! In the next chapter, Ikuko will get one step closer to solving Biyoku's riddle! And Lee will energetically present yet another plan!<br>**


	11. String of Fate

**Hey, guys! I just wanna say thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you guys are having fun reading it. For some reason, I really like Kiba and Ikuko together. I dunno, to me they just have nice chemistry, but I'm biased, aren't I? Haha. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: String of Fate <strong>

_Why couldn't they have found me? _I wondered as I watched a mother and her young son play with Mari and Maya. The little boy sat in the grass and giggled with glee as the excited puppy jumped all over him and licked his cheeks. Next to them, his mother was cuddling the puppy's equally energetic sister, saying how sweet both puppies were.

They seemed like a nice family, a happy family, and I knew they would give the puppies a wonderful home filled with unconditional love. What more could a dog want? What more could anyone want in a family? And yet, there Mogu stood, ignoring them all. His sisters were being showered with affection, but he seemed more interested in head-butting me. After ramming into me a fifth time, the white puppy collapsed onto his side and just stared at me with those big black eyes of his, and he looked perfectly content right where he was, like he wanted nothing to change.

_Don't you want to get adopted? _I wanted to ask, but I knew he wouldn't answer.

As for me, I would've done anything to get out of this place. I would've gone home with anyone, anyone at all. I should have been grateful to the Inuzuka family for all they had done for me—and I was—but this wasn't the place for me. I didn't want to become a member of the Inuzuka family, and I didn't want to become _his girl_. I just wanted to go home and return to my normal life. So as the families came and went, I couldn't help but hope to see my parents.

Maybe they were lonely without me. Mother must have been lonely being trapped in a house all by herself, and maybe she wanted a puppy for herself, something to fill the emptiness. She would recognize me right away because a mother could always recognize her child. And she would run over to me and throw her arms around me, and she would tell me how happy she was now that she had found me. Just the thought brought me comfort, but it would stay only a thought. She never showed up.

"Can we keep them, Mama?" the boy asked, hugging Mari tightly in his arms. "Please, can we? I'll take care of them myself, I promise!"

"Both of them?" His mother looked down at the puppy's sister, who stood next to her, wagging her tail playfully. "I don't think we have the space."

"But they're sisters. They would be lonely without each other ..."

His mother smiled. "I suppose they would, wouldn't they? And we can't separate a family, huh?"

Little did they know, they were going to be separating a family. Mogu would be all alone if his sisters were adopted, but the boy hadn't noticed the white puppy sitting beside me.

"Well," Hana said, "technically there are three siblings. Their little brother Mogu is right over there." She made a brief gesture toward us. "He's the little white one. He's very playful."

"Oh, wow!" Grinning, the boy came running towards us, but Mogu didn't seem to be in the mood to socialize. Instead, he hid behind me and started growling when the boy came too close. The boy gasped fearfully and cried to his mother, "This puppy is mean! He's nothing like the other two, and he doesn't look like them either. No, I don't want him!"

His mother looked relieved. "We'll just take these two home then, if that's alright."

"Of course," Hana replied. "We're just glad to have found them a loving home after all they've been through. And Mogu will start to come around eventually."

Would he? I wasn't so sure. He growled and barked at anyone who tried to get close, and he almost bit one man who tried to pet him. I didn't understand why he was being so difficult. His sisters were being taken to a better home, but he didn't seem to want that for himself. Although he whimpered a little when they were taken away, once they were gone, he just looked over at me with that same cheerful glimmer in his eyes.

I received my fair share of attention as well. One young man was most interested in taking me home with him. He was a handsome jōnin, at least halfway through his twenties, with deep red hair that fell gently into a pair of shimmering gold eyes. His touch was so soft, and when he smiled at me, I thought I was going to melt into a puddle at his feet. He was perfect, the kind of man I could spend the rest of my life with, even if it meant living as a dog. But I couldn't have him.

"I'm afraid my little brother would be angry if I let her go," Hana told him. "He's grown quite attached to her, you see."

"Well, I can't blame him. She's a lovely dog." After petting me once more, he jokingly said, "I might have to fight him for her."

_Please, do! _I thought. _I bet you could take him!_

Kiba lazily crossed the yard while tying his forehead protector across his forehead. "Fight who for what?"

The red-haired jōnin stood. "I was just telling your sister that I might have to fight you for this beautiful dog, and, honestly, I think I would win that fight." He shot Kiba a provocative smirk, like he wanted to get him all riled up.

And he succeeded.

"What the hell are you talking about, Hikaru?" Kiba shouted, clutching his clawed fingers into a fist. "You think I'm gonna just let you take my dog? Come on, let's fight then! I'll kick your ass!"

Hikaru turned away. "Please, I have no interest in fighting a child, especially such a short-tempered one as you. It would hardly be a challenge."

"Not a challenge, huh? Well, prove it then! Come on, I doubt you'll land a single punch!"

As Kiba boasted on and on, getting angrier by the second, Hikaru knelt in front of me and smiled. "He's rather loud, isn't he? All bark and no bite, one could say."

"All bark, huh? I'll show you!" Fuming, the fleabag prepared to charge his handsome opponent, but Hana stepped in to block his path. "What the hell, Hana? Let me go!" Kiba growled as he tried to move past her. "If this guy wants a fight, I'll give him one!"

Hana sighed. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"Shut up! I can take this guy!"

"Relax, kid," Hikaru said upon standing. "I didn't come here for a fight. Just make sure you take care of that sweet dog, or I might have to steal her from you." With a wave of his hand, he was gone, but his presence, while short, left a lasting impression on both me and Kiba.

"Why didn't you let me fight him?" Kiba yelled at his older sister.

"Did you really think I was going to stand there and watch you get laid out?" Hana chuckled and tousled his hair, which only made him angrier. "Really, you're too hot-headed."

"I am not!" he shouted as he broke away from her. "I could've taken him easily."

"Foresight isn't exactly a talent of yours, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're too impulsive to realize a bad idea even when it punches you in the face." To illustrate her point, she lightly pressed her fist against his cheek, and then she pulled away and smiled. "But you really should look after Ikuko. It seems Hikaru's charms have had quite an effect on her."

Boy, was she right. I'd just met the handsome jōnin, and I already couldn't stop thinking about him. How I wished he would swoop in and take me away from the fleabag and his crazy house of hounds.

Kiba squatted down and stared at me with narrow eyes. "What would she want with him?" he wondered aloud.

I had been working hard to avoid Kiba all morning, and now that he was right in front of me, looking at me so intently; I couldn't stand it. My heart started racing again; it was pounding so fast that I thought it would explode, and I just wanted it to stop. Whatever feeling this was, I wanted it to go away!

"I'm much better than that pretty boy," Kiba bragged.

"Yeah, you're a real prize," Hana muttered under her breath before saying, "By the way, aren't you supposed to be meeting the rest of your team now?"

Kiba shot up. "Oh, right. I almost forgot."

"You did forget," she gently reminded him. "Another one of your admirable qualities."

"Quit it!" he yelled, and then he quickly broke into a run. "Come on, Akamaru! Come on, Ikuko!"

Akamaru sped past me right away, but I was hesitant to go myself. Really, I didn't want to spend the afternoon with him.

"If you don't go," Hana said to me, "he's just gonna come right back, you know."

I knew she was right, so I had no choice but to follow him.

We walked through the village together, though I was a few paces behind the fleabag and his mutt. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice; he was still too angry about his confrontation with Hikaru to notice anything. For a long time, he just stomped around, muttering obscenities under his breath, but then his complaints got louder and louder.

"Too impulsive? Yeah, right! I knew what I was doing! Next time I see that red-haired pretty boy, he'd better be ready 'cause I won't go easy on him!"

_He really is foolish_, I thought.

"Let's see him try to take my dog," he went on. "It'll be the last thing he ever does!"

_For the last time, I'm not your dog! You don't own me, and you never will! - And if I want to live with Hikaru, I will! And he'll be a much better owner than you!_

We walked past Oshiro's then, the wonderful restaurant that I was officially banned from, and I saw Mother walking out of the entrance with one of her friends. She was wearing a dark blue dress, and her brown hair had been let down in loose, wavy locks that fell to her mid-back. She was smiling and laughing. She looked so happy; I'd never seen her so happy.

As we approached each other, I just couldn't help myself—I was so glad to see her. I ran right in front of her and tried to get her attention:

_"Mom, it's me, Ikuko! I've missed you so much!"_

I'd hoped she would see through this guise and embrace me as her daughter, but that was a silly thought. She would have nothing to do with this beastly form. I repulsed her.

"What are you doing, you filthy mutt?" she said, glaring down at me. "Get away from me!"

"The little monster is trying to attack you, Mizuno!" her friend cried.

Kiba must have heard them because he was at my side in a matter of seconds, pulling me away from them both. When Mother saw him, she sneered and said, "Another dog? Doesn't your family keep enough already?"

"Honestly, how can you stand being surrounded by so many smelly hounds?" her friend interjected.

Kiba smirked, but I could tell his temper was boiling beneath the surface. "I don't mind dogs," he replied coolly. "It's people like you that bother me." Then he looked right at Mother and said, "You know, if my daughter was missing, I certainly wouldn't be planning lunch dates."

"Well, aren't you a little punk?" Her friend's voice was shrill, like nails on a chalkboard. "Your family hangs around dogs so much, you're starting to look like them. Soon, we won't be able to tell the difference."

Kiba clenched his fist, but before he could respond, Mother spoke. "If you insist on keeping so many hounds, do us civilized people a favor and teach them some discipline."

"And invest in some leashes," her friend added with a cruel laugh.

As I watched the two of them walk away, I felt sad. It really hurt to hear her say such horrible things to me, her own daughter. I just wanted her to know I was okay, but she wanted nothing to do with me. Without realizing it, tears had begun to well up in my eyes, and they were dripping onto the street.

"Hey," Kiba said, grabbing my attention. "Don't listen to them, okay? You're not a filthy mutt or a smelly hound." He was smiling so warmly that I felt my tears begin to dry up. "No, you're a princess."

That was the first time I actually liked being called a princess, and I didn't even try to stop my heart's violent pounding.

"Now I'm really late!" Kiba realized, scrambling to his feet. "I can't think of a good excuse, either. Dammit! Why do we have to have such early meetings, anyway? Man, Shino's never gonna let me hear the end of this!"

While he had his little temper tantrum, I couldn't help but smile a little, at least on the inside. Yeah, he was arrogant and short-tempered, and maybe he was too impulsive for his own good, but he could also be really sweet when he wanted to be.

"Who cares if I'm late?" he finally decided, slamming his fist into the palm of his hand. "They're just gonna have to deal with it!"

_He does realize he's just wasting more time, right?_

Then, just when he was about to start leaving, Lee decided to make another unwanted appearance. He was walking casually down the street, but once he saw Kiba, his face came alive with hope and excitement, and he came right over to us.

"I'm so glad I found you!" Lee said. "I need your help with something ... or I guess it's Akamaru I need."

"What are you talking about?"

It was a sunny morning, not a cloud in the sky, but once Lee started talking, the atmosphere became strangely intense. Grey clouds blocked the sunlight, and a shower of steady rain began to fall. Through this rain, with his bowl-like black hair clinging to his forehead, Lee spoke dramatically:

"Ikuko came to me last night in a dream," he said, instantly catching Kiba's attention as well as my own. "She was wearing this beautiful red dress that seemed to ripple in the wind, and her hair was braided back, leaving a few strands to frame her pale white face."

"Are these details really necessary?" Kiba cut off both him and the rain.

"Right." Lee blushed, and suddenly the rain started again, setting the tone for the rest of his story. "And she said to me, her voice as quiet as a whisper in the wind, 'Lee, you must find me. Please, you're my only hope.' But I didn't know how to find her. And so she presented me with a single strand of her hair and said it would lead me to her. When I woke up this morning, I found this on my pillow."

The rain stopped, and the sun broke through the grey clouds, shining its light directly on Lee. In his hand he held a single strand of my auburn hair.

"When I saw this, I knew it wasn't just a dream. Ikuko was reaching out to me, telling me how to find her!"

_How the hell did he get a strand of my hair? _I shuddered at the possibilities.

"This strand of hair is like a string of fate," Lee went on, "and I know it will lead me to her."

"So what does this have to do with me?" Kiba asked.

"Well, I need Akamaru to help me track her."

Kiba shook his head. "Her scent is gone. I've already tried ... But I can't let you take Akamaru, not today. We're already running late."

"Oh." Lee's shoulders sank in defeat, but when his creepy black eyes passed over to me, his posture straightened again. "How about your other dog? Surely, you can spare one for the day."

"Ikuko?" Kiba glanced down at me. "You want to take Ikuko? She's not much of a tracker, though, and she's pretty stubborn—"

"Her name is Ikuko?" Lee was ecstatic. "Another sign! Please, you must let me borrow Ikuko. With her help, I know I will be able to find her."

Kiba rubbed the back of his neck, thinking over Lee's proposition. "Well, I don't know how much help she'll be, but I guess—"

"Perfect!" Lee exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

Just like that, I'd been passed off to Lee for the day. At first, I was incredibly pissed off, and even Kiba's reassuring words couldn't calm me down, but once I heard Lee talking about joining up with the rest of Team Gai, I became overjoyed! In a bizarre twist of fate, I was finally going to see Neji again, and this time Kiba wouldn't be able to separate us. Turns out, my hair was a string of fate, after all!

We met the rest of the team outside of the dango shop. Neji and Tenten were talking as we approached them, but once Neji spotted me walking next to Lee, his brow furrowed with confusion. He looked so handsome, even when he was confused.

"Lee, why do you have Kiba's dog?" Tenten asked.

"She's going to help us find Ikuko," Lee explained.

Her eyes widened. "Ikuko? That's what you've gathered us here for?" She slapped her hand to her forehead and let out a frustrated sigh. "Lee, we've been through this already. We're not going to be able to find her. The longer you keep holding on, the more it's going to hurt you in the end."

"But we can find her, I know it!"

"Tenten's right," Neji said, and his words broke my heart. "It's time to give up now."

Lee shook his head. "I won't—I can't—not yet."

"Then keep searching," Neji replied coldly, "but you'll do it without us. I have more important things to do with my time."

_More important things to do? _I couldn't believe my ears. _Do I really mean so little to him?_

"Sorry, Lee," Tenten said with a regretful smile as she and Neji walked away, leaving Lee all alone on his mission.

I thought he would be discouraged and upset—I certainly was—but when I looked up at him, he seemed more confident than ever. He had this big smile on his face, one so bright and cheerful that it made me forget about all the terrible things Neji had said.

"Let's go, Ikuko," he said to me. "We'll find her together."

As he stood there, beaming with enthusiasm, I began to see Lee in a new light. He certainly wasn't an attractive boy, and his enthusiasm was really overwhelming at times, but his determination was admirable and inspiring. For a second, I actually believed he would find me, but then I remembered my situation. Although he would never be able to find me, I was happy to watch him try.

He tried to follow my scent at first, but I really wasn't much of a tracker, especially when I was looking for myself. Still, I tried to be convincing. For hours, I led him around the village, stopping at random shops and restaurants, and at every failure, he smiled a little brighter. "We're getting closer," he would say. "It'll be the next one, I'm sure." But it was never the next one, and I was running out of places to go, so I eventually brought him into the forest and stopped.

Lee leaned against one of the trees and smiled down at me. "You're not a tracker, are you?" he said, and I felt a little guilty for leading him on for so long. With a quiet sigh, he slumped down beside me and draped his arm around my neck. "Thanks for trying anyway, Ikuko."

Chuckling quietly to himself, he laid his head back against the tree trunk. "Who am I fooling? I'll never be able to find her, and even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. She'll never be interested in someone like me."

His words caught me off guard. It was so strange to hear such depressing words coming from someone like him.

_You're right, though,_ I had to admit. _I'll never be interested in you, but that doesn't mean another girl won't be. Someday you're gonna meet a girl who can see past those bushy eyebrows, dated haircut, and ... well, that disaster of an outfit ... and she'll see all your good qualities. She'll be a very lucky girl to have someone who cares so much for her. _

I knew he couldn't hear any of what I was saying, and maybe that was why it was so easy for me to say it, but I wanted to say it anyway because that was how I felt at the moment. He really was a nice guy, and he would find a nice girl one day, but it wouldn't be me.

We sat there together for a while, enjoying a peaceful silence, but then, just as we were about to leave, I heard something in the distance. A child's cries, loud and desperate, like he was in danger. Without thinking, I took off running through the wood, ignoring Lee's attempts to get me to stop, and the cries brought me all the way to the river that cut through the forest.

Swept up by the rushing blue water, a young boy was flailing his arms around as his head bobbed in and out of the water. "Help!" he screamed. "Help!"

I watched him from the bank, debating whether or not I wanted to take the plunge.

_It's so cold, and I don't wanna get wet! Someone's bound to come around eventually, right? _Then I saw the kid's head disappear under the water, and I started to panic. _But if that kid dies, it's gonna be on me! – But I'm already cursed, so what's the worst that could happen, right? She can't curse me again, or maybe she can ... _I stared at the water's surface, waiting for the kid to come back up, but he never did. _Oh, come on! I don't wanna go in the water! Stupid brat, take some swimming lessons before you play by the river!_

Since nobody else was coming, and the boy was probably drowning, I reluctantly jumped into the river to save him. As soon as my body hit the frigid water, my eyes shot open, and I suddenly forgot how to swim.

_This was a bad idea_, I quickly realized, but then I got a hold of myself and started paddling through the water.

Struggling down the river, I chased after the boy as he drifted along, his head just barely floating above the surface. When I got close enough, I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him along with my teeth. Water was splashing my face, and my legs were starting to tire out, but I kept on kicking until I reached the water's edge; then, with all my strength, I hulled the kid onto the riverbank, where he was caught by Lee's bandaged arms. Quickly, the unfashionable ninja pulled the boy ashore and then plucked me out of the water. I collapsed to the ground, shivering, panting, and dripping wet, while Lee tended to the boy.

_After all I went through, that kid had better not be dead_, I thought, and then I finally heard his coughs. _Thank goodness._

"Ikuko," Lee said as he turned to me, his eyes wide in amazement, "you saved his life. You're a hero!"

_A hero, huh? _I thought back to what Biyoku had said the night she cursed me. She said I had too much pride, that I cared only about myself. So if this curse was all about selfishness, then I had to be the opposite of selfish; I had to help people and stuff, just like I did today.

_That's it! _I realized. _From this day on, I will be the hero of Konohagakure! Yeah, I'm gonna be the least selfish person there is!_

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><p><strong>So Ikuko's got everything figured out, it seems. Her heroic journey will continue in the next chapter, and she'll once again cross paths with the charming Hikaru. That can only mean bad news for Kiba.<br>**

**Thanks for reading!  
><strong>


	12. Striving for Selflessness

**Hey, guys! Enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Striving for Selflessness <strong>

The streets of Konoha were alive with celebration as people young and old came to honor Konoha's young and beautiful hero. Women raised handmade banners with my face plastered on them, and children threw handfuls of flowers that showered over me in a rain of pink and blue. The grand procession was on its way to the Hokage's mansion, and I was being carried high in a litter manned by four of the village's strongest and most handsome jōnin. Upon soft feather pillows I sat and waved to all my admirers.

"We all love you, Ikuko!" they called.

"I know!" I replied with a giggle. "Everyone loves me!"

The Fifth Hokage was standing outside her mansion, right at the top of the stairs, and she wore a proud smile on her face. When we reached her, I was lowered to the ground and led up the steps while the crowd waited below, cheering so loud I could barely hear the Fifth's words of praise.

"Ikuko Matsubara, you have honored this village with your innumerable acts of kindness and courage, as well as your keen sense of fashion."

"Well, I do what I can," I said, completely unabashed. "It takes a lot of work to look this good, but I make it look effortless."

"Yes!" the women shouted. "You look amazing, Ikuko! We're all so envious of you!"

I turned toward the crowd and smiled as I watched them all cheer and shout. They were all so excited, all so happy to see me. People were pushing and shoving each other to get a place in the front row, but those in front defended their position fiercely. Among those lucky few in the front was Neji, and nobody dared to challenge him. He stood in the very center, with his arms confidently folded over his chest and his pale eyes focused on me. Once the ceremony was over, he would at last make his confession, and I would receive my first kiss. But first, I wanted to be praised.

"As reward for your service, I have decided to name you, Ikuko Matsubara, as my successor. You shall be named the Sixth Hokage."

The crowd went wild, cheering so loud the ground seemed to shake beneath me. From the sky fell a rainbow of flower petals, light as feathers, sailing through the breeze, and the children danced among them and sang songs of devout adoration. The Fifth Hokage slipped off her white haori and draped it over my shoulders, but when she tried to place the hat on my head, I had to protest.

"Oh, not the hat," I said as flower petals tickled my nose. "It'll ruin my hair." As I looked over the rest of the customary uniform, I frowned and thought, _Yes, that'll be the first thing to go. Under my leadership, this village will be the most stylish village to ever exist—and the unfashionable will be exiled!_

Basking in the glory of me, I descended the stairs of my grand future home and joined the man who would one day share it with me. Neji was waiting for me at the bottom, but he was not alone. Next to him, looking as smug as ever, was Kiba, and he was staring right at me with this strange look, as if asking, _What are you going to do, Ikuko? Who are you going to choose?_

What _was_ I going to do? What was I supposed to do? That question lingered in my mind as the dream slowly faded and reality took its place. I opened my eyes to an empty, sun-lit bedroom, but the question still remained, and it bothered me to no end. I tried to push it from my thoughts, but like the smelly fleabag, it was incredibly persistent.

"Good morning, Ikuko," Kiba said as he entered the room wearing only a pair of sweatpants, leaving his entire upper-half completely exposed. He had just taken a bath, I knew, because his hair was still wet, and clinging to his bare shoulders were tiny beads of water that slowly slid down the length of his back. He was scouring his room, searching for some unknown item, and each time he bent over, the muscles in his back became more pronounced, more defined. This wasn't my first time seeing him like that, of course, but the situation was much different now. The first time, I wanted to blind myself, but now, I couldn't bring myself to look away. I wanted to stop staring; really I did, but I just couldn't.

_This is so wrong,_ I told myself, absolutely mortified by my behavior. _Look away, Ikuko! Just look away!_

"Hey, Ikuko," Kiba went on as he turned around, and I panicked and shoved my face into his pillow, hiding all evidence of my indecency. "What are you doing?" he asked with a laugh, and I could feel him coming closer. I kept my face hidden, hoping he would leave, but when I sensed his presence right in front of me, I couldn't stop myself from looking up.

His was kneeling on the ground, as he often did when he wanted to be close to me, and he was smiling that same smile I'd seen dozens of times, but still it always managed to look different to me, brighter somehow. His wet hair was sticking to his forehead and dripping water down his cheeks. With his right hand, he ran his fingers through his wet hair, making it stick up a little; then he wiped his damp face with his forearm. In that moment, even with his hair all messed up, I had never been more attracted to anyone, not even Neji, and I didn't understand why.

"Aha, here it is!" He dug under the pillow and pulled out his black forehead protector. "Good job, Ikuko," he said, ruffling the fur on my head with his free hand. After tying on his forehead protector, he went to his dresser, pulled out a plain black shirt, and clumsily threw it on.

_Why him? _I thought as I shamelessly watched him finish dressing._ Of all people, why him? He's not even that handsome, not in a traditional sense anyway, and he has about as much charm as a rabid dog._

Then his fingers reached for the white hachimaki Lee had designed in my honor. The others had no doubt thrown theirs away by now, but Kiba kept his neatly on top of his dresser. Every morning, once he finished dressing, he would touch the fabric with his fingers and stand in silence for a few moments, lost in deep thought. Today, however, he snatched it right off the dresser. For a second I feared he might finally throw it away like everyone else, but then I saw him tie it around his wrist.

"There's something I have to do," he said to me, his black eyes full of determination. "I'll be back in a few hours." Then, as if he could sense my worry, he threw me a playful smirk. "Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?" he said before grabbing his jacket, slipping it on, and finally walking out of the room. "Let's go, Akamaru!"

_Where is he going? _I wondered. It wasn't like him to go somewhere without telling me, and he almost always let me go along, but not today. I couldn't believe it. I was actually worried about the fleabag.

But my worry wouldn't last long because I had more important things to do with my day. I had finally figured out how to break Biyoku's curse, which meant I was just days away from getting my body back, if all went according to plan. I would become the village hero, break the curse, and then Tsunade would name me her successor, and I would finally enact my revenge on Kiba's family. So I had no reason to care about Kiba. Soon enough, I would have my perfect life back, and he would mean nothing to me ... nothing at all. A small part of me was very saddened by that thought, but I refused to let it get to me because I had to be in high spirits if I wanted to achieve success.

Kiba's unexpected departure was very convenient for me, actually, because that meant I would have time to perform all my good deeds for the day. After eating the breakfast Kiba prepared for me, I went into the village with a most eager Mogu running by my side. Normally, I would not encourage him, but I just figured that was another coin in my hero jar. Every little good deed counted, right? I was not, however, going to let him keep nipping at my tail. Even the most gracious hero wouldn't put up with that.

_Today, I'm gonna be a hero, _I sang to myself as I bounced along on my paws. _Today, I'm gonna be a hero. And once I get my body back, they will face my wrath!_

There was just one little problem, though: nobody needed my help. Without people to save, how was I supposed to become a hero? I couldn't do good deeds if there were no deeds to be done! I searched everywhere for somebody in need, and there was nobody, not even a little old lady needing help to cross the street. The first one had been easy, but kids weren't exactly falling into the river every day. What was I supposed to do? Well, I did the only logical thing:

If there were no problems, then I had no choice but to create my own.

Hidden in a dark alley, I waited for my little furball of a partner to return from his latest mission. We had a pretty good system going: I would determine the mark, Mogu would steal something from them, and then I would return it. They were always so relieved when they saw me, and they all patted me on the head and said what a good dog I was. Little did they know, I was actually a heroic mastermind! So far, Mogu had successfully stolen six hats, two purses, and three forehead protectors, and he was now working on the fourth. We had seen Shikamaru and Chōji snacking outside one of the restaurants, so I made a brief motion towards the lazy ninja with my tail and then retreated, leaving Mogu to his work. But he was taking an awfully long time.

_Come on, this was an easy one! _I thought, quickly growing impatient._ Shikamaru will probably be too lazy to even chase after you!_

Finally, the white furball rounded the corner, but in his mouth he carried not Shikamaru's forehead protector but a nasty, smelly, partially chewed bone, and he dropped it at my feet and then barked happily.

_"Really?" _I growled. _"This is what you have brought me? A smelly bone? Where did you even get this?"_

I must have really freaked him out because that puppy scampered off faster than I had ever seen a dog run. Shortly after, I emerged from the alley as well, lazily kicking the bone along while trying to think of a new heroic scheme. As I casually turned my head to the side, I realized the source of Mogu's fear. Turns out, the stupid mutt had stolen the bone from a very large and very angry dog, and now I was about to take all the blame for it.

_Good doggy,_ I thought as I slowly backed away from the snarling hound. _Nice doggy. _I had left the bone in front of him, hoping he would take it back and leave me alone, but he just walked right past it. _Good doggy! You don't want to eat me!_

Oh, yes, he did. The dog gave a loud, mean bark, and I took off running as fast as I could. Down the road I raced with the charging monster at my tail, barking and growling. I twisted through the crowds, ducked under open legs, and nearly knocked a few people over, but I was going to do whatever it took to reach safety. People were shouting behind me, screaming obscenities at both me and the mad dog that barreled right through them. I'd hoped that someone would catch him, but he was much too fast. He was too fast for me as well, and soon he would reach me. I knew he would.

In an act of foolish desperation, I took the next turn I came upon, and I didn't realize it was a dead end until it was too late. I stared fearfully at the high wall, my legs quivering as they struggled to hold me up, and then the dog entered the alley behind me. Whimpering, I backed up against the wall, as if I believed it would somehow disappear if I wished for it hard enough, but it never disappeared, and the dog was closing in on me.

_I'm going to die,_ I thought. _I'm really going to die! _I squeezed my eyes shut as he lunged for me.

Suddenly, just as I felt his hot breath on my face, I heard a loud yelp, and when I opened my eyes, the dog was running out of the alley with his tail between his legs. Towards the entrance, leaning with one foot against the wall, was the handsome, red-haired jōnin named Hikaru, and in his hand he lazily bounced a rock up and down. Why, he looked like some cool character from a story, coming to save the beautiful damsel. He caught the rock and then shoved his hands into his pant pockets before he slowly approached me with a charming smile on his face.

"Now, what's a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this, hmm?" he said as he lowered himself to my level. "Your owner isn't doing a very good job taking care of you, is he? If I hadn't been in the area, you would've been dog food by now."

I shuddered at the thought.

"I guess his loss is my gain. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." He tilted his head gently to the side and asked, "Wanna come home with me, hmm?"

My ears perked up. _"Come home with you? Oh, I'd love to!"_

He chuckled. "Well, alright then. Let's go!"

The handsome jōnin lived alone in a small second-floor apartment on the western edge of the village. He walked up the stairs ahead of me, carrying a large bag of groceries in his arms, and after he opened the door, he stepped aside like a gentlemen and let me go in first. "Make yourself at home."

_Gladly! _With a happy bounce in my step, I entered the apartment, and Hikaru came in after and slipped off his shoes. While he carried the groceries into the kitchen, I went into the living room and studied the cozy apartment that would hopefully become my home. Even though it was a sparsely decorated space, containing only a couch and a small television, it was absolutely perfect to me, much better than Kiba's messy, smelly house. The floors were clean, and the air was fresh—I could've spent all day just taking in all that clean air. _Yes, no wet dog smell!_

In a moment of weakness, I quickly peeked into Hikaru's bedroom, which he kept just as neat as the rest of his apartment. His bed was small and his sheets were plain, but there was enough space for a double bed, and it would have been easy to add my own little touch of style.

_Ikuko, how forward of you! _I scolded myself. _You just met the guy! A lady shouldn't think such thoughts!_

"Come here, sweetie, I've got food for you," Hikaru called, making my heart flutter. _Oh, I could get used to this!_

I ran into the kitchen, where a large bowl of food was waiting for me, and I was so happy I dove my nose right in without thinking. After the first bite, though, I realized this wasn't the delicious food I was accustomed to; they were the dry pellets of food that people bought in stores, bland and absolutely horrible. Still, Hikaru stood there with a sweet smile on his face, and I didn't want to upset him.

_So what if the food isn't amazing? I can live without fantastic food. Other dogs can eat this stuff, so why can't I? No, I don't need Kiba's food, as amazing as it is ..._

After my terrible meal, I took a rest on the couch with Hikaru. At first, I was very comfortable and relaxed, and of course it was wonderful to have such a handsome man showering me with affection, but then a strange feeling began to form in the pit of my stomach, an uncomfortable emptiness. I sniffed and sniffed at the air, realizing that it was much too fresh for my liking; in fact, it was starting to give me a headache. I yearned for a different smell—the smell of, well, dogs. And while Hikaru was incredible, every time he touched me, every time he smiled, I thought of Kiba and his stupid, smirking face, and that cocky grin, ... and that perfect smile that made me feel so special.

_That jerk! _I thought, enraged. _He's corrupted me! No longer can I enjoy the finer things in life—not without thinking of his stupid, ugly face! He's ruined everything, and now my life will never be the same again! I hate him, I hate him!_

"You miss him, don't you?" Hikaru said suddenly, catching me completely off guard, and yet I knew he was talking about Kiba right away.

_Yes! _I cracked. I was so upset I wanted to cry. _I miss everything—his smelly house, his stupid face, even his mangy mutts! I wanna go back! I wanna go back!_

Hikaru sighed. "Alright, let's get you back home then." As soon as those words left his mouth, I leapt off the couch and raced toward the front door, making the jōnin laugh. "We better hurry, huh? If I keep you here any longer, the kid's probably gonna break down the—"

The front door flew open with such force that it came right off the hinges and crashed to the ground. On top of the broken door stepped Kiba, red-faced and tightly clenching his fists in anger. He saw Hikaru long before he spotted me, and once he did, he charged and punched him in the face, making Hikaru's lower lip crack and bleed. "You!" he growled. "You took my dog!"

Hikaru recovered quickly and wiped the blood from his lip. "Did I now? That's quite an accusation."

"I know you took her! I can smell her all over you!"

_He can smell me? _I thought. _Yeah, that's kinda creepy ... Well, I better smell good. Of course I smell good!_

"She's here, alright," the red-haired jōnin said with a smirk, "but how do you know I took her? Maybe she wanted to come with me. Maybe she prefers me over you."

Hikaru was doing it again—purposefully getting Kiba all riled up for his own amusement, and the fleabag took the bait right away. With incredible strength and speed, Kiba slammed Hikaru against the wall.

"You're lying!" he accused. "She would never choose you over me!"

"You sure?" Hikaru challenged. "I certainly didn't force her to come here."

The anger in Kiba's face disappeared and became replaced with uncertainty. "Just tell me where she is!" he demanded, but his face was still plagued with worry and doubt.

It was really sweet to see him getting so worked up over me, but for his sake, I thought it would be best to put an end to the situation before the idiot did something crazy. So while he shouted at Hikaru, I came up behind him and gently poked him with my right paw.

"Hmm?" Startled, Kiba looked over his shoulder, and once his eyes settled on me, a surprised look washed over his face. "Ikuko?"

Finally released from Kiba's death grip, Hikaru calmly readjusted his flank jacket and said, "Just for the record, I was about to bring her back before you so rudely kicked down my front door."

"Oh." Kiba took a moment to survey the damage he'd caused, and then he cringed a little, knowing that he would have to pay for all the damages. "Well, why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"When? Before or after you punched me in the face?"

"Before! - And after!"

I watched the two of them bicker back and forth for a while, just shaking my head. The fleabag really had a short fuse, which made him easy prey for people like Hikaru. Still, it was nice of him to go through all that trouble—and embarrassment—just to rescue me.

"You're a lot of trouble, you know that?" Kiba said as we walked home together. "I just spent all my money fixing your little mess."

_My mess? You're the idiot who broke down the door! What did you think, he was holding me hostage or something? I was perfectly safe, and I didn't need you to rescue me. You just got jealous and freaked out!_

After taking a few more steps, Kiba suddenly turned around and squatted down in front of me. He had a suspicious look in his eyes as he asked, "You didn't actually prefer that guy over me, did you?"

_No, _I would have told him. _Unfortunately, you have ruined all other men for me. Now I have no choice but to suffer with you._

"Of course not." He smirked and stood up. "And why would you? I'm way better than him."

_And so modest_, I added before following him down the road.

That night, while the Inuzuka family sat down to their dinner, Kiba placed my dish right beside his chair, and as we ate, he would occasionally reach down to pet my head, like he feared I would get taken away again. He had nothing to worry about, though, because I certainly wasn't going anywhere.

"Well, Mom," Kiba said, "it's been over two weeks, and nobody has claimed Ikuko. Nobody even knows who she is, so ..."

"_So _..." His mother drummed her fingers against the table as she thought it over. "Hmm ..." Then she ducked under the table and focused her narrow eyes on me. "Hmm ..." Finally, she sat up and said, "Fine, she can stay."

"Really?" Kiba was about as shocked as I was, but his face lit up immediately, and then he smiled down at me with the brightest smile I'd ever seen. "You hear that, Ikuko? You're the newest member of the Inuzuka family!"

_A member of the Inuzuka family ... Am I really a member now? _Something strange happened then. In that one moment, from a family that was always so crazy and dysfunctional, I felt more love and warmth than I had ever felt in my entire life, and it made me truly happy.

That happiness carried all the way over to my bedtime. I lay curled up on Kiba's bed while he stood in front of his dresser, slowly untying the white hachimaki from his wrist. "I'm gonna save you, too, Ikuko," he muttered to himself. "I'm gonna find you."

_You already found me_, I wanted to tell him. _I'm right here._

Then he dropped to the floor beside Akamaru and got comfortable, wrapping the blanket around himself and using the dog as a huge pillow. "Goodnight, Akamaru," he said, stroking the dog's fur, and Akamaru licked his hand. Then he looked up at me and smiled. "Goodnight, Ikuko."

_Goodnight_.

I watched the two of them for a while, debating whether or not I wanted to follow the urge that was quickly taking over my will. There was a bare spot right next to Kiba, one just waiting to be filled. Never before would I have even considered giving up a warm bed for the floor, especially not to lie with Kiba and Akamaru, but I really wanted to. For some reason, I just wanted to be closer to him. So after fighting with myself for another few minutes, I quietly dropped to the floor and moved closer to him.

Naturally, my pride prevented me from lying right beside him, so I planted myself a respectable distance away. I thought that would be enough to satisfy my insane urges, but it wasn't. Soon, I found myself scooting across the wood floor, inching closer and closer to him.

_Stop!_ I thought, halting my movements. Ashamed by my lack of self-control, I started to back away, but then the urge came back, and I started moving closer again—only to stop myself and back up again—and then move forward—and backward—and forward—and backward.

Amidst my inner struggle, I saw Kiba lift his hand and make a beckoning gesture. "Come here, Ikuko."

Just like that, all my shame disappeared, and I moved closer to him, going so far as to rest my head on his lap. As he brought his hand down to pet me, I heard him quietly chuckle to himself, and I knew he was smirking.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

_Oh, he's so full of himself!_ I thought, and I should have gone back to my bed, but I was already much too warm and comfortable, so I just snuggled closer to him and slipped into a peaceful sleep.

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><p><strong>Awww...How cute! Well, guys, there are only three chapters left! Keep reading to find out how Ikuko's journey ends!<strong>


	13. The Bitter Truth

**Hey, guys! Thanks for all the reviews! **

**Now, there was a question asked regarding Ikuko's bathing habits as a dog. Since she had a wound that needed to be managed early on, Hana was probably the one giving her baths, and that just continued on after she was all healed up. Given the awkwardness between her and Kiba, I don't think she would want him bathing her. A little too personal of a situation.**

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter! We're getting closer to the end!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: The Bitter Truth<strong>

I was lying right on top of Kiba's stomach when I awoke, though I honestly had no idea how I'd gotten into such a position. Akamaru had left the room sometime earlier, taking away Kiba's pillow, and so we were both on the hard floor, but I was more comfortable now than I had ever been on the bed. For a long time, I just lay there listening to his quiet breathing and steady heartbeat, and I thought, at least for a moment, that I would have been perfectly happy waking up like this every morning. I was conflicted. Yes, I wanted to go home. I mean, of course I wanted to go home. And I wanted my body back more than anything, but life was okay here, too.

_But you don't belong here! _I screamed at myself. _You're not a member of this family, and you're nobody's pet! You have a life of your own, a good life—a great life! Why would you want to give it up for this fleabag?_

Then I felt a hand brush against my fur, pulling me from my troubling thoughts. Kiba, with his eyes still closed, started petting the top of my head, paying special attention to my ears, my sweet spot. I shut my eyes and slipped into blissful relaxation.

"Morning, Ikuko," Kiba murmured, still half asleep.

When his hand fell and failed to rise again, I nudged his fingers with my nose, desperately seeking more affection. It took a few nudges before he finally gave in to my demands.

"You're awfully needy today," he said, chuckling softly, but still he caressed my fur. He let out a deep, content sigh. "Let's just sleep all day, okay?"

_I would gladly stay like this all day_, I thought, but neither of us would get what we wanted. Kiba had to leave for another mission, something he'd neglected to tell me until that very morning, right after he finished making my breakfast. I was still enjoying my meal when he broke the news to me, and I was extremely upset.

"Hana will be here to look after you," he assured me, speaking gently to keep me calm, "and when I come back, I'll make you a special treat." He reached out his hand to pet me, but I pulled away from him, my eyes narrowing into a fierce glare.

_I don't want a treat! _I would have shouted if I had a voice._ I just want you to stay here with me! ... What if you don't come back? I need you here! – You can't leave, you can't!_

With a sigh, he stood up. "I'll be back soon."

When he turned to leave, I sprang up and latched onto his jacket sleeve with my teeth.

"Ikuko, let go," he said, his voice calm at first, but then his temper started to get the best of him. "Ikuko, let go!" he shouted, shaking his arm, but I refused to let go. "Let go! Let go!" He shook me harder and harder, but I was fighting him with all the strength I had. "Ikuko, stop being so selfish!"

_Selfish? _I released him so fast he stumbled backwards. _I'm being selfish?_

Kiba huffed and puffed as his temper cooled. "Look, I'm sorry, Ikuko," he said, and I could tell he wanted to pet me, but he held back out of fear that I would snap at him again. "I don't want to leave, but I have to. I promise, I won't be gone long."

I stared down at my food dish. _Then just go. _And when I heard the front door close, I knocked away the dish with my paw. _Stupid, jerk!_

Selfish. I couldn't get that word out of my head. Long after Kiba had left—four days to be exact—his accusing words were all I could think about as I lay in the yard. Mogu, the playful little monster, was trying to get my attention the entire time, but I couldn't give it to him. So while he jumped all over me and nibbled affectionately on my ears, I didn't move or respond in the slightest.

_He said I was being selfish, but he was being selfish, too! He said he was going to find me. He said he would! But how can he find me if he's not here? – And what if he doesn't come back? He has to come back—he has to!—because if he doesn't come back, nobody will ... There will nobody left to ... They'll all forget, and I'll ..._

I forced myself up in a hurry, knocking Mogu to the ground. _I have to see Biyoku_, I decided. While the barking white puppy attempted to climb back on top of me, I moved away from him and took off into the forest.

My destination: Biyoku's hut, and I wasn't going to leave until she took back her stupid curse, even if it meant resorting to violence. I didn't have time to play her game anymore.

The old woman was sitting with her dogs by the fire, as she always did when I arrived, but this time I didn't wait for her to invite me inside. I ran right in and confronted her without hesitation.

_"I want my body back, now."_

"You haven't learned your lesson yet, young Ikuko." She kept her eyes on her fire pit, denying me even the briefest glance, and it was starting to really piss me off. "Only then will you get your body back and not a moment before."

_"Oh, but I have learned my lesson,"_ I replied with confidence, bordering on arrogance, I suppose. _"You cursed me because I'm selfish, right? So you want me to care more about people, to help them? Well I did that, okay? I saved a boy's life! What is more selfless than that? I'm a hero."_

She nodded her head, acknowledging my response, but she didn't seem impressed by it. "That is a very noble act, indeed," she said, "but tell me, why did you save him, Ikuko? Was it out of pure concern for his life? Or were you motivated by your own interests?"

Her black eyes pierced straight through my soul, seeing right through all my lies. All my confidence began to fizzle out, and I felt like a spineless little worm.

_"What difference does it make?"_ I growled despite my guilt. _"I saved him, didn't I? Who cares what I was thinking at the time? That doesn't matter!"_

"Of course it matters!" she shouted back in a booming voice, a voice much too powerful for such a small woman. "To be selfless means to put another before yourself, to care only for them and their wellbeing, and to not be concerned about what you stand to gain or lose. It is a removal of the self. Ikuko, you do not yet understand, and so you can't have your body back." Then her anger faded, and she spoke considerately. "Take some time, Ikuko, search yourself, and you will see—"

_"No!"_ I stood right in front of the old woman, snarling with rage. "_I don't have time for that! I can't stand to live like this anymore! So what if I'm selfish? So is everyone else, everybody—even you! Tell me, why did you curse me in the first place? Huh? I know it wasn't for my benefit, so why did you do it? – Admit it, you just wanted to avenge your grandson, didn't you? You all hate me so much!"_

She shook her head, her eyes clouded with disappointment, and then she spoke with such hope, but there was still a sadness in her voice. "I just want to see you become the person you're meant to become, Ikuko, for your sake as well as my grandson's."

I stepped back, my anger lessening. _"What does Kiba have to do with me?"_

"Your fates are joined, Ikuko," she said. "The choices you make now will affect the both of you."

I shook my head back and forth, suddenly very overwhelmed. _"No, I can't be responsible for him! I don't want anything to do with him or your stupid family—I just want you all to leave me alone!"_

I ran from her then, and I could hear her shouting for me to come back, but I just couldn't. I felt trapped, suffocated, like I was slowing drowning in a river of guilt; and no matter how hard I kicked, no matter how far I reached, I couldn't break through the surface. I was in way over my head, but still I kept on kicking and reaching, unwilling to surrender.

I kept on running and running until my legs could carry me no further. Finally, I collapsed on the side of the street, right outside Yakiniku Q, one of Team Asuma's favorite restaurants. I myself had never eaten there or even gone inside.

_How can I be selfless when I'm always thinking about myself? _I wondered._ I don't remember a time when I wasn't thinking about myself. I'm just so awesome—how can I not think of myself?_

I knew thoughts like that weren't exactly helping my cause, but I couldn't help it. All my life I'd been told that my family was better than everyone else—Mother said it almost every day—so how could I care about people who were so far beneath me? Who else was worthy of my thoughts besides me? It all made perfect sense when I was young because I believed everything Mother said, but now it wasn't so clear.

_Mother wouldn't lie, would she? _I asked myself. _She's perfect, she's always said so, and she just wants me to be perfect like her, and that's why she tests me like she does, because she loves me. She just wants me to be the best I can be. There's nothing wrong with me!_

"Hey, Ikuko," I heard Chōji say as he sat down beside me, and surprisingly, the ground did not quake from the impact of his massive weight. He did, however, reek of barbeque. The guy had just finished eating probably everything in the restaurant, and still he was opening a bag of cookies.

"Want a cookie?" he asked, offering me one of the golden-brown disks.

Honestly, I had no idea why he was always offering me food because the guy wasn't exactly known for being generous when it came to his snacks, especially if it was the last one in the bag. Still, he was always trying to share with me. One time, when we were very young, he came to my house after school with a small birthday cake for me, something he'd worked on with his mother the night before. It was a nice gesture, and I really liked the strawberries on top, but I couldn't accept it because Mother was behind me, and she wouldn't have wanted me to accept a gift from the chubby Akimichi kid. So I knocked it away—I hadn't meant to hit it so hard—and it smashed onto the ground. I felt bad about it; really I did, but instead of apologizing, I just ran inside and slammed the door in his face. That happened almost ten years ago, and I could still picture the sad look in his eyes.

_You may be chubby, but you didn't deserve that_, I decided as I reached forward and took the cookie from his hand. It was a pretty good cookie, so good that I didn't object to a second when he offered.

"Well, I'm off," Chōji said once the bag was empty. Before leaving, he bent down and petted my head. "It was nice snacking with you."

_He'll probably snack again before dinner_, I thought as I watched him walk away. _That was kind of mean, wasn't it? But I'm just stating facts. Everyone knows that Chōji's always stuffing his face, so what's the harm in pointing it out?_

As I sat there contemplating the rudeness of my previous statement, I saw Yuzu and Youji walk by. I was so happy that I ran right over to them and barked excitedly. Yuzu saw me first and began smothering me with affection, gently massaging my neck and ears, and then Youji lazily ruffled my fur. They were going to Ramen Ichiraku for dinner, and they invited me to come along. While they slurped their ramen, I enjoyed a bowl of scraps Ayame had prepared especially for me.

"It's strange how much she reminds me of Ikuko," Yuzu said after a while. "When I look into her eyes, I swear I see her staring right at me. It kind of makes me sad."

"Why?" Youji asked, his mouth full of noodles.

"Because I feel guilty," she admitted. "We should be looking for her, Youji. She's our teammate and best friend!"

"She's no friend of mine," he muttered.

"Youji, how can you say that?"

"Because it's true!" he shouted, throwing his hands into the air. I had never seen Youji so angry, but tonight he was furious—at me. "She's nobody's friend, not even yours, Yuzu. Do you think she would be looking for us if we were the ones missing? No, she probably wouldn't even notice. Ikuko only cares about herself. Can't you see, Yuzu? She's no friend of yours. All she does is boss you around, and you let her! I stood back and kept quiet, but I can't anymore. She doesn't deserve your worries or your tears. She doesn't deserve anything from you!"

The entire ramen bar fell silent, and Teuchi and Ayame tried to make it seem like that hadn't been listening, but they were. Everyone was listening, especially me, and I didn't know what to say or even think in response.

"You're wrong," Yuzu said, her voice reduced to a quiet whimper. She stepped down from the stool and looked at her brother with tears in her eyes. "You're wrong! Ikuko's my best friend. She cares about me, I know she does!"

As Yuzu cried and denied Youji's accusations with all her heart, I saw a lot of me in her, just for that moment. All my life, I'd been telling myself that Mother loved me, that every horrible thing she did, she did out of love, and that deep down she really cared about me. But it was all a lie. She didn't care about me, and I didn't care about Yuzu. Youji was right, I wasn't Yuzu's friend, not really, and if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't have gone looking for her, not once. What kind of a friend would do such a horrible thing?

Yuzu ran away crying, and Youji did nothing to stop her. Instead, he turned away and said just loud enough for me to hear, "Ikuko, if you really are gone, I hope you stay gone ... for Yuzu's sake."

His words stunned me. _He doesn't want me to come back? ... Is everyone better off without me?_

Seeking an answer to that question, I ran to my house, somewhere I hadn't been in over a month, and I almost didn't recognize it when I saw it. The front windows were all warm and lit up, and I could hear music and laughter inside—Mother's laughter. She sounded so happy, so glad that I was gone ...

But I was her daughter! She wasn't supposed to be happy and laughing; she was supposed to be worried about me!

Why? I didn't understand why she was so happy to have me gone. I didn't understand why she didn't care about me, why she didn't love me. I had done everything she'd ever asked of me, and still it wasn't enough. Why wasn't it enough?

A tear slipped down my face. _Are you really happier without me? I'll leave then, if that's what you want ..._

I started walking back to Kiba's house, and along the way, I couldn't help but think it would be better if I just left. I wasn't going to be getting my body back, not ever, because I was incapable of thinking about anyone but myself. And everyone else was so happy to have me gone. What was the point of coming back? I would have no family to come back to, no friends. I was better off alone.

Well, if everybody was better off without me, then I was going to do them all a favor and leave, but not yet. I had to say goodbye to Kiba first. He came home really late in the night, and he was really tired when he stumbled in his room, but he still managed to say hello to me.

"Told you I'd be back," he said with a smirk as he brushed his fingers through my fur, and I savored his touch, knowing it was probably going to be the last time I'd ever see him again.

He collapsed onto the floor in front of Akamaru, who looked equally as tired, and then he patted his lap, inviting me to come lay with him. I didn't hesitate to move closer, and then I started gently nuzzling his chin.

"Glad you're not mad at me anymore," he said with a soft chuckle as he captured my head with his hands and massaged my ears. "I really missed you, you know."

_I'm gonna miss you_, I thought sadly, fighting back tears, _but you'll be better off without me. Maybe this is what your grandmother meant. Maybe I need to leave your life so you can finally be happy._

Slowly, I felt his hands fall from my face, and when I looked up, I saw that he had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful like that, with his head resting on Akamaru's back, lips slightly parted, quiet breaths drifting from his mouth. He looked so perfect.

_I think you're the one who has my first kiss_, I wanted to say, _but I won't take it. I don't deserve it ... I don't deserve you._

Akamaru stirred a little as I backed away, but I couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep. _You take care of him, Akamaru. He won't understand why I left, but you need to help him get over me. _Then I looked back at Kiba. _Goodbye, Kiba. Thank you for ... everything._

Then I slowly started towards the door, and I was just about halfway through the doorway when I heard Kiba murmur my name in his sleep, his voice desperate and full of pain. I stopped for a moment and turned around.

_Just forget about me, Kiba. Everyone else has._

I ran out the back door, which Kiba had left open yet again when he came home, the stupid fleabag. As I made my way across the yard, I heard clumsy steps and light, excited panting behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Mogu running after me, ready to follow me wherever I went.

I stopped and turned around to face him. _"No, you can't come."_

Still, the little white furball came forward, wagging his tail happily. He was completely oblivious to the situation.

_"No, Mogu, you can't come!"_

At this, the puppy stopped and tilted his head to one side, his black eyes filled with confusion.

_"You can't come,"_ I tried to tell him. _"You can't follow me this time."_ I attempted to leave once more, but Mogu started following again, and so I turned around and growled, _"I said, go! Leave me alone, you stupid mutt! I don't want you to come with me!"_

Mogu's little white tail went limp as he slumped to the ground, and then he started to cry. It broke my heart to see him so upset, but it had to be done, so I took off into the forest, leaving the crying puppy all alone in the yard.

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><p><strong>Oh, boy. Look's like Ikuko's having a little breakdown. Keep reading to find out what happens next!<strong>


	14. The Forest

**Okay, I was going to hold off on this story until my other story was finished, but I decided I didn't want to make you guys wait that long. **

**Enjoy this chapter! We've almost reached the end!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: The Forest<strong>

Driven by a maddening sense of self-loathing, I plunged through the dark forest, dodging trees, leaping over bushes, and stumbling over rocks. Never before had the forest seemed so vast and the trees so alive; they towered over me like giants, and when I slammed into them, they struck back with twice as much force. I didn't mind all that, though, and I often slammed into them multiple times by my own will; but what I hated, what really tortured me, were their voices, shrill and accusing, unwilling to listen to what I had to say. Every time I ran into their trunks, the trees reminded me why I was running away, why I would never get my body back, and they spoke in voices familiar to me.

_"You take people for granted and think only of yourself."_

_"She's nobody's friend. Ikuko only cares about herself."_

_"She's a spoiled, selfish girl, just like her mother."_

_"People don't exactly come running when the name Ikuko Matsubara is mentioned."_

_"Nobody would've showed up if I'd said we were gonna look for Ikuko."_

_"They might be glad she's gone. Maybe they never wanted her in the first place."_

_"Nobody likes her. Everybody's glad she's gone."_

_"Ikuko, if you really are gone, I hope you stay gone."_

_"Ikuko, stop being so selfish!"_ Kiba shouted at me.

I slammed into the ninth tree again and again, wanting to hear more of Kiba's cruel words, and over and over, he repeated himself to me. _"Stop being so selfish,"_ he said. _"Ikuko, stop being so selfish!"_

After slamming into the tree for the sixth time, I collapsed to the ground and started sobbing. _I can't do it! I don't know how to stop. I have to be selfish—I have to care only for myself—because they never cared. My own parents never cared!_

I stood up and shoved my shoulder into the tree, just because I wanted to hear Kiba's voice, but the tall tree was silent. Still, pathetically, I tried again and again, stopping only when my shoulder began to throb, and then I switched to the other side.

_I don't care what you say—just say anything!_

I must have rammed into that tree at least twenty times, and still it refused to make a sound. I kept on trying; like a fool, I wouldn't give up, but the only voice I heard belonged to me, and maybe it had always been that way. After all, trees couldn't talk.

I found myself looking back the way I came, and I couldn't help but wonder what Kiba was doing right now. Had he noticed my absence? Was he out looking for me? Part of me hoped he was, and a larger part of me wanted to turn around and go back to him, back to the only place that ever truly felt like home. But then there was another part of me, an even larger part, that reminded me that I didn't belong there. I didn't belong with him. I didn't belong anywhere. I listened to that part of me, as much as I despised it, and I just continued on through the forest.

I hated the second part of the forest more than I hated the first. As I passed by the trees, I was being chased by multiple forms of me, each at a younger age than the previous. No matter how fast I ran, they just kept following me like fifteen little lost puppies, and they all kept begging me to take care of them. The little ones would clutch onto my fur and cry about how badly they wanted their mother, and the older ones would lash out at me and scream that they hated me for abandoning them; and the entire time, all I could do was blame my mother ... for everything.

She appeared then, my mother; right in front of me, she stood with that same cold look in her eyes, with her arms crossed over her chest, refusing her child even the tiniest shred of affection. Those arms had probably never once held me, not even when I was pulled from her womb. No, I knew she'd rejected me right from the start.

_"This is all your fault!" _I growled at her. _"You made me this way!" _Then I turned around and screamed at the little girls following me, _"She's the one you should be angry with, not me!"_

But they just kept staring at me, like they couldn't even see our horrible mother in front of me.

I turned around again and glared at my mother, but it wasn't my mother's cold eyes glaring back at me anymore—they were my own honey brown eyes, as hard and unsympathetic as hers ever were.

_It's not her fault_, I realized. _I can blame her as much as I want, but it won't change the truth: I chose to become this way. I'm not the only kid who's had a tough childhood—and there are others who have had it way worse than me ... I can't keep acting like the victim._

As I looked around me, I saw that everyone else had finally disappeared, and so I walked on to the next section of the forest.

While the previous parts of the wood were dark and dispiriting, this part was bright and full of life. A beautiful crescent moon was shining its light down on the leaves, making them glisten like fine silver. When a single leaf fell, it was like a little piece of the moon was descending to the earth.

Most beautiful of all, though, was the handsome jōnin training beside the tree. Beneath the moonlight, Neji Hyūga looked like some kind of ethereal being, with that perfect face and those eyes that sparkled like sunlit snow in the middle of winter. For so long, I thought those were the most beautiful eyes in the world. For so long, I was consumed by helpless, senseless devotion to him; and no matter how many times he rejected me, no matter how many hurtful things he said, I still loved him; and one day, I hoped he would see that and return my affection. One day, he would.

But then, as the moonlight began to fade, I realized that Neji Hyūga was no ethereal being—he was just a boy—and his eyes didn't sparkle like sunlit snow, and my feelings for him were nothing close to love; they were shallow and one-sided. If he was the one missing, would I have searched for him? If his life was in danger, would I have put mine on the line for him? If I couldn't answer yes to those questions, then I couldn't call it love.

Just like that, he vanished before my eyes like a fleeting dream, and I felt nothing when he left, but I couldn't help but wonder, _Why do I do it? Why do I waste my time chasing after people who don't care about me—and push away the ones that do? I just don't understand ..._

"Ikuko?"

I felt my body stiffen as my ears twitched to the sound of his voice, but I dared not turn around out of fear that he was just another illusion of my mind, a cruel trick of my heart. When he spoke my name again, I still denied the realness of it, but I couldn't deny the urge to peek over my shoulder, and so I did.

For a long time, I just stood there staring at him and blinking my eyes, trying to dispel the illusion and save my heart the pain. But no matter how many times I blinked, his image never faded. When he stepped towards me suddenly, I panicked and backed away a few paces.

"Ikuko, what's wrong?" Kiba asked, his tired eyes filled with concern and confusion. "What are you doing out here? It's cold."

_He really is here, _I thought, unable to believe it. _He came to find me, just like he said he would._

He took another step forward, but he kept his voice low so as not to startle me again. "Why did you run into the forest by yourself, hmm? You don't belong out here. You're a member of the Inuzuka family now, remember? Come on, let's go home." Then he smiled that warm, perfect smile, a smile I certainly didn't deserve but still longed to see for the rest of my life because it made me feel like I belonged somewhere. It made me feel like I belonged with him.

But I didn't.

His shoulders sank. "What is it, Ikuko? What's wrong?" His eyes and voice were full of worry, like he feared with all his heart that I didn't want to be with him after all, just like Hikaru said.

"Look, I know the house gets crazy sometimes, but we all really like having you around ... so you can't leave."

He came toward me in short, stuttered steps, and then he dropped to his knees and threw his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Please, don't go. Don't leave me. I can't lose you, too." His voice was shaky, like he was on the verge of tears.

_Kiba ..._

I had never seen him like this before, and it was strange to think that I was the source. Until now, with his arms wrapped so tightly around me, I hadn't realized just how important I was to him, or he to me. For so long, he was just this stupid, arrogant fleabag who would torment me with his dog and ruin my sad attempts at finding romance. But during my stay with his family, we'd gone through so much together, and I'd learned so much about him, seen so many different sides of him, sides I really liked ... maybe even loved. And now here he was, with his arms around me, begging me not to leave him—and I didn't want to.

I wished for human arms at that moment because, more than anything, I wanted to be able to hug him back, but I couldn't. All I could do was rest my head on his shoulder.

_I won't leave you_, I promised. _Even if I have to spend the rest of my life as a dog, I'd be happy just to spend it with you._

And then a loud howl ripped me from my thoughts.

Perhaps my life wasn't going to be as long as I'd originally thought. The forest was home to countless wild animals, and although most were perfectly harmless, a particularly aggressive pack of wolves was making people worry. It was this worry that prompted them to set up all the wolf traps, just like the one that had caught me.

The traps helped, but they didn't completely eliminate the problem, and now the remaining pack members had shown up for a little midnight snack. There were four of them from what I could see, but each time I blinked, it seemed like another was silently creeping out from the shadows. The biggest among them, a terrifying grey wolf, started inching toward us, and his amber eyes were focused on Kiba.

Slowly, Kiba got to his feet and took on a defensive stance. "Don't worry, Ikuko," he said confidently. "I'll protect you."

My eyes flickered back and forth between Kiba and the wolf. I didn't know if Kiba was capable of fighting off the wolves by himself—maybe he was—but that thought never really crossed my mind. Honestly, I wasn't really thinking at all. All that mattered was that Kiba was in danger, and I just ... I didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Without a care for my well-being, I rushed ahead and placed myself right between Kiba and the wolf, and I challenged his menacing snarl with equal ferocity. He loomed over me like a monster, and even his shadow seemed to dominate me, but still I held my ground.

Once he took another step closer, I sprung forward and nipped at his legs. He retreated, but just for a moment. He came at me again just seconds later, so I launched myself at him. We started rolling on the ground, fighting for dominance, but I wasn't strong enough to overpower him. I managed to get in a few scratches and bites to his back, but his claws ripped through my left hip, and his teeth caught several areas on my back and part of my neck. Then he kicked me away like I was nothing, and I skidded across the dirt, leaving blood in my tracks.

I got up just in time for his next attack, but this time he didn't move alone. Two brown wolves appeared at either side of him, and together they started backing me into a tree, and all I could do was snap at them and growl.

When one came at me, I went for his legs, but then the other caught one of my back legs, and his bite was much stronger than mine. This went on until I was trapped against the tree, and I barely had the strength to stand let alone fight, so I mustered up the courage for one last growl.

What came out of my mouth was a sound much deeper and more threatening than anything I was capable of. It definitely wasn't my voice—it was the voice of a much bigger dog.

Like a knight in furry, white armor, Akamaru came to my rescue just in time, and he towered over them all like a mountain standing over a tree. All three wolves attacked him at once, the giant one leaping for his back while the other two went for his feet, and he knocked them all away like he was flicking away a bunch of pesky gnats. Once thrown, the three wolves quickly retreated, and then Akamaru went to chase off the rest of them.

_Thanks, Akamaru_, I thought as I slumped to the ground and dropped onto my side. _I owe you one._

I was in a great deal of pain, and I knew I was losing a lot of blood, but I was happy because Kiba was safe. In fact, he probably didn't even need me to save him because I'd seen him fight off two wolves with hardly any effort. And here I couldn't even handle one by myself. Turns out, I was useless even as a dog.

_I'm glad I got to help him at least_, I thought as I felt my eyelids grow heavy and fall. _Even though I screwed up, I'm glad I got to help._

The pain started to lessen then, reduced to a warm, tingling sensation that took over my whole body, starting at my hands and feet and then working its way up. A cool breeze swept across my face, and as it left, I heard Biyoku's voice in my ear, whispering a quiet chant. As her voice faded, the tingling sensation gradually diminished. When I forced my eyes open again, I saw the light pink flesh of my arm and the five long, dainty fingers of my hand, covered in blood but still the most beautiful things in the world.

I smiled. _I did it ... I can't believe I actually did it._

"Ikuko?" Kiba was standing a few feet away from me, his eyes wide like he'd just seen a corpse rise from the dead and start dancing in front of him. His quivering lips tried to form words, but over and over, they failed. Finally, he just gave up and stumbled over, dropping to his knees beside me. "How?—How?—I should have ... Why didn't I figure it out sooner? I should have known!"

"How could you have known? ... Idiot." I giggled quietly, something that brought great pain, but still I was glad to hear the sound of my own voice again.

"I'm sorry," I said weakly. "I'm sorry for everything I said to you, for everything I did. I didn't ... I didn't mean to ..."

He shook his head. "Shhhh, it's okay. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that you're safe now."

As he spoke, his eyes passed down the length of my body, and I didn't have to look to know I was in bad shape, but he seemed hopeful, foolishly hopeful. Next to him, Akamaru was trying to lick some of the blood off the wounds on my legs. I would have petted him if I'd had the strength, but I could only manage a smile.

"Don't worry, Ikuko," Kiba said as he gently scooped me into his arms and climbed onto Akamaru's back. "You're gonna be okay. I'm gonna get you help."

Without a word, Akamaru sped off, moving quickly and carefully through the forest. During the entire ride, Kiba held me close and promised over and over, "You're gonna be okay, Ikuko. You're gonna be okay."

I clung to his jacket with my hand, clutching him as tightly as I could, and I refused to let go, even as my vision began to blur.

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><p><strong>Alrighty, guys, the story's going to wrap up in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Update as of June 3, 2013: This story is on hold until I finish my other story, which has one chapter left. Please be patient. It shouldn't take too much longer, I hope. Thanks!**


	15. A New Leaf

**Well, we're finally at the last chapter. I just wanna say thanks for reading this story. I hope you guys have enjoyed it. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: A New Leaf<strong>

I woke to a bright white light that stung my eyes, like I was staring into the blazing sun on a hot summer day. Shielding my sensitive eyes with my hand, I saw the light poking through the spaces between my five fingers and a huge grin spread across my face.

_I did it_, I thought._ I really did it! _

Giggling to myself, I sat up in the hospital bed and began to look over the rest of my newly-returned body. I gazed down at my dull, cracked fingernails and ran my fingers through my tangled auburn hair. Clearly, I wasn't at my best, but that didn't matter because I had my body back; it was mine and very, very human. I'd nearly forgotten how smooth and soft human skin could be.

As I ran my fingers down my right arm, I saw the dark pink scar that marked my right wrist, an old wound from the wolf trap. I knew I had many more scars on my body because the wolves' claws had cut deep, and their teeth even deeper, but that didn't bother me so much. I was glad to have the scars because they reminded me of all that I'd gone through. Most of all, they reminded me that I'd survived.

I smiled. _I couldn't have done it without him, Kiba ... _My eyes passed over to the vacant chair that stood beside the window. To my eyes, it seemed a little crooked, like it had been moved around, but perhaps that was just my imagination getting the best of me. Still, I wondered if he had visited me, if anybody had visited me, if Yuzu and Youji ... or my parents had. In my heart, I really wished that Mother had come to see me at least once, but I knew better than to get my hopes up.

But someone must have visited me because there was a small vase of bright, beautiful flowers sitting beside my bed. I grabbed the vase with both hands and brought it to my nose, inhaling their sweet, floral scent, and then I let my fingertips brush against the petals, savoring the feeling of the velvety petals against my skin. They were from Yamanaka Flowers, that much was obvious, but the sender remained a mystery until I saw the tiny card tucked away inside the vase.

_Get well, soon, Ikuko! We're all praying for a fast recovery!_

_~ Rock Lee_

"Of course," I said, grinning. "He's really too nice for his own good."

I had just finished setting the flowers back down when the door opened and Shizune walked into the room. "Ah, you're finally awake," she said with a smile on her face.

I nodded my head. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple days," she answered. "You were in pretty rough shape when you got here, but you recovered quickly. I was surprised."

"I see ... Thank you for taking care of me."

"Oh, no need to thank me. I hardly did anything." Then she turned towards the doorway. "Isn't that right?"

Into the room walked someone I was not expecting to see. After all the horrible things I'd done to her, all the horrible things I'd said, she was the very last person I ever expected to help me. And yet, there she was, the girl with the obnoxious pink hair and unnaturally wide forward, Sakura Haruno. But she looked so professional today, so confident. I had almost forgotten about her talents as a medical-nin. Yes, she had certainly come a long way since her Academy days. ... And what had I accomplished?

"How are you feeling?" she asked, smiling warmly at me, and her eyes carried this friendly glimmer that expressed a sincere willingness to forget our past and move forward.

Surprised by her compassion, I felt my cheeks begin to flush. "F-Fine! I feel fine, thank you."

"Good, I'm glad. You had everyone pretty worried for a while."

"Everyone?" I lunged forward, like I was about to jump out of my bed. "Did I have visitors?" I asked, and perhaps I sounded a bit too eager.

She nodded her head. "Your team visited often, and Lee stopped by as you can see, and Team Asuma visited, and Team Kurenai as well."

_But not my parents. _My heart sank a little. _Of course not._

"Kiba came by himself a lot, you know," she went on. "He sat in that chair all day yesterday with Akamaru. He would have stayed all night, I think, but his mother made him go home and get some sleep."

_So, he came after all_, I thought as I stared back at the empty chair where he once sat.

"Anyway," Shizune took over, "you are free to leave whenever you're ready. Your friends brought a change of clothes for you during their last visit. I'm sure they will all be happy to see you up and about again."

"Yes, thank you," I said to Shizune as she walked out the door, and just before Sakura could leave too, I stopped her. "Thank you, Sakura; really, thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

I didn't deserve it, and yet she was showing me such kindness. They all were, all the people I used to despise and take for granted. Yuzu should have hated me the most, but still she visited me, and I knew it wasn't just because of some obligation as my teammate. I knew she truly cared because she had given me her own clothes to wear, clothes I used to ridicule because they were old, raggedy hand-me-downs, but now I was so happy to have them.

The shirt and pants were mismatched and stitched all over, but when I looked at them, I didn't think of Yuzu's meager status; I thought of all the love and care that Yuzu's mother had put into those stiches. Her clothes never looked like much to me, but I knew Yuzu cherished them, so it meant a lot for her to loan them to me now.

The shirt was too big for me, but it was too big for Yuzu too, looking more like a dress than a shirt. Before, I would have refused to wear such a shabby looking outfit, but today I had no complaints. I was just happy to be back.

I walked through the hospital, ignoring the constant stares I received. Whether they were for the outfit or my situation, I couldn't be sure, and I didn't care. Some were whispering too, making up rumors about what had happened to me, like I had been kidnapped or had run away. Nobody had mentioned me being turned into a dog, though, and for that I was grateful because that would have been much too hard to explain ... and very embarrassing. I thought I was going to be able to avoid the truth entirely, but then I ran into Hana Inuzuka. From the look on her face, I knew she had been told the truth, and it made me a little uncomfortable to be around her, but I was glad to see her because there was something important I wanted to ask her.

"Ikuko." She seemed surprised to see me. "I didn't think you'd be up so soon. How are you feeling?"

"Great," I said, shifting awkwardly. "I'm great."

"That's good. I'm glad you're alright. We all are."

I could feel my cheeks beginning to flush as I prepared to ask my question, but I wasn't sure how to word it. "Umm ... Hana, I was wondering if I ... if you would ..." I took a deep breath. "Please, accept me as your apprentice!"

Her eyes widened. "What? You want to be a veterinarian?"

I thought hard about it. "Well, I'm not really cut out to be a ninja, and I just ... I thought maybe I could help, and after all that has happened ..."

"It's hard work, you know," she said, but I knew what she was really saying: that I wouldn't try hard enough, that I would get bored and quit. I guess I couldn't blame her, though, given my history. I was just about to back out when I heard her say, "But if you're willing to put in the work, I will accept you."

My face broke into a grin. "Really?"

"Yes," she replied with a smile, "but on one condition: promise you'll talk to Kiba. He's been so worried about you."

I nodded my head. "I will." _Though I have no idea what I'm going to say to him ..._

I wanted to see him; really I did, but I was just so anxious about it all. There was so much to say, and I didn't know how to say it or where to even begin. Whenever I thought about confronting him, my chest would start to tighten, making it almost impossible to breathe. I just wasn't ready to see him yet, so as I left the hospital, my panicking eyes were flickering back and forth, hoping not to find him waiting for me. Thankfully, he wasn't there, but I did see Yuzu and Youji walking toward me.

"Ikuko!" Yuzu happily cried as she ran up and threw her arms around me. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried about you!"

"Yeah, you really gave us all a scare," said Youji, but I could see that his smile was forced, and I remembered what he had said at Ramen Ichiraku, that he didn't want me to come back at all. I wanted to prove him wrong, show him that I could be a good friend to Yuzu, like she deserved.

"Thank you for the clothes," I said to Yuzu.

She smiled bashfully. "I know they're not as nice as yours, but ..."

I shook my head. "They're perfect."

We left the hospital together, all three of us, and as we walked down the road, we met up with Lee and Neji. Lee was carrying a small bouquet of red flowers, another gift for me, no doubt. When he saw me, his face broke into a huge smile.

"Iku-chan, you're finally awake!" he cried enthusiastically, but then he quickly caught himself and toned down his excitement, a deep blush spreading across his face. "I'm glad you're okay. Here, these are for you."

He handed me the bouquet with trembling hands and mumbled something I couldn't understand. He was so nervous, almost like he was afraid that I would knock the flowers away and reject him. In the past, I would have, but today I did something that shocked everyone: I walked right past Neji, didn't even look at him, and placed a soft kiss on Lee's cheek.

"Thank you," I said with a smile as I pulled away, and Lee's face was about as red as the flowers in my hand. He tried to say something, but the sudden shock kept him from forming coherent words. Thankfully, the big smile on his face said enough.

I draped my arms over Yuzu and Youji's shoulders as we continued down the road together. "Where will you go now?" Yuzu asked me.

_The one place I'm afraid to go. _"Home."

I certainly didn't want to go home, but I knew I was going to have to face my mother eventually. Yuzu and Youji were kind enough to walk with me to my house and provide support, but I had to do the rest on my own, so we soon parted ways, and I continued on alone.

Slowly, I approached the door and knocked three times. When Mother opened the door, her eyes went right to the bouquet of flowers in my hand. "You brought me flowers, I see."

_You don't deserve flowers_, I thought, but like a fool, I handed them to her anyway, and then I obediently followed her into the house like I had done so many times before. She walked straight into the kitchen and prepared a vase for her flowers, but I went no further than the entryway.

"I'm afraid most of your clothes have been sold," she said indifferently.

_To pay for your new lifestyle. Is that another brand new dress I see, Mother? _

She came out of the kitchen with her newly-filled vase and placed it on the end table in the living room. "Yes, that's just lovely. I would offer to buy you new clothes, but I find your new wardrobe quite fitting. Charming, actually. Those stains really bring out the brown in your eyes."

Her insults were hard to swallow.

She turned away and started walking back to the kitchen. "Get out of those clothes, _now_. I won't have my daughter looking like a beggar. You've disgraced me enough with all those ghastly rumors floating around."

I stayed perfectly still. "Is that all you have to say to me?"

She stopped for a moment, but she refused to look at me. "What am I supposed to say to you? You were gone, and now you're back. Am I supposed to hug you, kiss your forehead, and tell you how much I missed you?"

"I want you to care!" I shouted. The tears were stinging my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "You're my mother."

"I never asked to be a mother, least of all yours," she said with a groan, like it was so exhausting just to form those words. "I never wanted to be a mother, never, not even when I became one. When you disappeared, it was the happiest day of my life ... and now you're back. Forgive me for not weeping with joy."

"You never wanted me," I concluded, "and you never loved me?"

Her voice was cold. "Not once."

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. "Okay," I muttered, and then I turned around and started toward the front door.

"If you leave now," Mother strictly said, "you will never be allowed home again. Never."

My hand lingered on the door handle. "When has this ever been my home?"

I wanted her to stop me, yell at me, say anything, but she did nothing; she just walked back into the kitchen, so I walked out the door and never looked back.

I tried not to cry; over and over, I told myself not to cry, but when I saw Yuzu standing there with that sad, sympathetic look on her face, I broke into a fit of tears. She was right there to comfort me, as any good friend would, and she even let me cry on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Ikuko," she said, gently rubbing my back. "I'm here for you. It'll all be okay."

"Thank you." _And I'll be there for you, too. No matter what._

Yuzu had offered to take me to her house, but there was something I had to do first. In search of the perfect thank you gift, I went to Yamanaka Flowers. Now, I had never been in that flower shop, particularly because Ino worked there, but they had the prettiest flowers in the village, and I wanted to find something special. As soon as I entered the shop, however, I deeply regretted it because Ino was the first person I saw.

"Can I help you?" she asked, and I almost turned right around and saved myself the trouble, but her tone was pleasant and professional, something I hadn't expected from her. In fact, I half expected her to kick me out when she saw me.

"I need flowers," I said, "to thank someone."

She nodded her head. "Okay, well, let's take a look around and come up with some ideas. Do you have a preference?"

"Umm, not really."

I slowly followed her around the shop, completely baffled by her behavior. Why was she being so nice to me? Why wasn't she saying nasty things or making fun of me? She had heard the rumors, no doubt, and those would have provided the perfect ammunition for revenge, but she wasn't firing anything at me. Was she willing to declare peace between us? Perhaps now was the time for me to make amends with her ...

"Ino," I said, "I'm ... sorry for giving you those fake nutrition bars, ... but you really should have known it was a trick. I mean, they were practically all sugar."

Her eyes began to narrow, and I gave a nervous laugh and muttered, "Sorry. Hard habit to break."

Clearly, I still had a lot of work to do.

But Ino smiled. "We have some really lovely daisies. Would you like to see them?"

I smiled back. "Sure. Thanks."

My classmates were truly amazing people, I realized as I walked out of the shop with my bouquet of flowers. If Biyoku hadn't cursed me, I would have never known. She was absolutely right; she had given me a very special gift, one that I would never be able to fully repay, but I was going to try anyway.

With my flowers, I went to Biyoku's hut, a place I had visited so many times that I knew the way by heart. In fact, I could have probably found it with my eyes closed. But the hut I stumbled upon was not the same hut I had visited before. It looked like the same hut, but it wasn't, not really. The place was rundown and overcome with moss and vines, as if the forest had swallowed it up. When I entered through the broken door, I found nothing but dust, cobwebs, and a dirty fire pit that looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"How is this possible?" I wondered as I looked around in shock. "She was right here, I know it!"

... Slowly, the truth hit me.

"She was a ghost," I whispered to myself, finding the words hard to believe, but they were even more impossible to deny. "She was a ghost." Chuckling quietly, I dropped the bouquet of flowers into the fire pit. "Rest in peace, you old bag—and thanks."

_A ghost turned me into a dog_. I laughed at the thought. _No one's ever going to believe that._

And now there was only one place left to go. It took a lot of convincing, but I ultimately decided to visit Kiba's house. The whole way there, I was trying to figure out what I was going to say once I saw him. There was a lot to say, too much, and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to say it all.

When I finally reached his door, I just stood there like I was paralyzed. _You have to talk to him, Ikuko! You just have to! _Taking a deep breath, I placed my knuckles against the door and knocked three times. I had put a smile on my face because I wanted to look my best for him, but that smile faded when I saw who was behind the door. It wasn't him—it was his mother.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, "is Kiba home?"

"No, I'm afraid he's not." Her eyes were as hard as ever.

"Oh." I shifted my weight back and forth between my feet. "Okay then."

I expected her to just close the door in my face, but she didn't, and so we both just stood there in an awkward—very awkward—silence. Of course it was awkward! What were we supposed to say to each other? There was a lot of tension between us because, well, her ghost mother had turned me into a dog, and I had personally destroyed most of her furniture. We probably should have been clawing each other's eyes out by now.

"I'm sorry for the bedding," I finally said. "And your chair. And your table. And your slippers."

"My slippers?"

I bit down on my lower lip. "Yeah, you blamed it on Mogu, but I was the one who chewed through them." I tried to smile and act innocent, but it really wasn't working. "I was a little angry at the time. I don't even remember why, to be honest."

I thought she would get mad at me, but she didn't—actually, she started laughing. It was a deep, boisterous laugh, one that would normally terrify me, but today it made me join in.

"You have an amazing family," I said suddenly, and she seemed taken aback by my words, but I continued, speaking right from the heart. "And you're a really great mother. I know I didn't deserve it, but I want to thank you for taking me in and caring for me. Really, thank you."

For the first time, I saw her eyes soften. "You're welcome, Ikuko. Kiba should be home soon. You can come inside and wait for him if you'd like."

I shook my head. "No, that's okay. I don't want to intrude or anything. I can just wait outside."

I took two steps back, and upon the third, I felt something nip at the bottom of my shorts. It was a quick, playful bite, not strong enough to bring harm but strong enough to get my attention. When I turned around, I saw Mogu up on all fours, tail wagging furiously, ready to play with his long-absent partner. As I came down to pet him, he jumped at me and started licking at my cheeks without restraint.

"Ah-haha-ha!" I landed on my butt, and he pounced onto me, continuing his slobbery assault. "Nice to see you too, Mogu. And here I thought you wouldn't recognize me."

After a while, he finally calmed down long enough to let me pet him. "I guess you haven't found a home for him yet, huh?" I asked.

Kiba's mother leaned against the doorway and smiled a large, knowing smile, like she knew something I didn't. "Oh, I think we have."

Mogu nudged my hand with his nose when I stopped stroking him. "Me?" I couldn't believe it. "You mean me?"

She nodded her head. "I think it's always been you."

I looked at Mogu, who was now sitting beside me, and in his eyes I found the same blissful contentment that I always saw, like he was happiest by my side.

I stood up, and he matched my movements perfectly. "So you want me, huh?" I asked, and he barked once, as if shouting, "Yes!"

"Okay, Mogu, it's you and me then."

For a long while, I played with Mogu in the yard. Now, it certainly wasn't my idea to play; I was hoping to just rest beside a tree and relax while I waited for Kiba, but just as I was getting comfortable, the attention-hungry puppy started jumping all over me. Then he grabbed onto my sleeve with his teeth and forced me to my feet. After picking up a wet, partially chewed stick from the ground, he came and placed the stick at my feet.

"This will take some getting used to," I said, but I picked up the stick and threw it across the yard.

Honestly, I hated fetch, as both a dog and a human, but Mogu seemed to love it, and that was all that mattered. Seeing him so excited just to chase around a smelly stick, it made me smile and appreciate the simple things in life. Mogu had more fun with a dirty stick than I'd ever had with a room full of dolls and toys, and that said something.

But I still hated fetch.

"Okay, last one!" I called as I took the stick from him and threw it as far as I could. "Go get it!"

Mogu ran after it, but it wasn't Mogu who came back with the stick—it was Akamaru. The gigantic dog who used to make me cringe was bounding towards me with the stick in his mouth, and Mogu was trailing behind him.

When he reached me, Akamaru dropped the stick at my feet, and I started petting his back. "Hey, Akamaru," I said. "Where's the fleabag, hmm?"

As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I saw Kiba walking toward me with his hands shoved in his pockets. He had been training—or playing—with Akamaru, I knew, because I could see the dirt and sweat on his face, and there was a tiny rip on the knee of his pants. In the past, I would have been disgusted by him, but now I didn't mind so much. Actually, I kind of liked it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I figured this would be the last place you'd wanna be."

My heart started racing. "Well, I just came to say thank you."

"Thank you? I thought you hated me." A tiny smirk started to crawl up his face.

My cheeks flushed. "Yeah, well, I guess I don't hate you as much as I thought."

"Oh, really?" He smugly crossed his arms over his chest and said, "You know, that's probably the worst confession I've ever heard."

I clenched my fists tightly. "Oh, and you've received many, have you?" My heart was pounding, my face was burning up, and Kiba was just standing there with this cocky smirk on his face. To hide my blushing face, I turned away. _Ugh, he's such a jerk!_

"I ran into Yuzu," he said, catching me off guard. His arrogant tone had completely disappeared, and now he sounded completely sympathetic. "She said you had talked to your mother."

"Yeah ..." I tried to play it off as nothing, act like it didn't bother me, but I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes before I could even finish my sentence. "She said she never wanted me ..." My voice started to break as I choked back the tears. "She—she said she never loved me."

I moved to wipe the tears from my eyes, but before I could lift my hand, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. Kiba held me close to his chest, enveloping me with his warmth, and I felt completely safe.

"It's okay, Ikuko," he said just low enough for me to hear. "You're gonna be okay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

His words hit my heart, and when I looked up at him, I found his brown eyes staring back at me, conveying a deep emotion that I could only describe as love. He seemed conflicted, though—I could see it in his eyes. I could tell he wanted to kiss me because his eyes kept flickering down to my lips, but he seemed scared, like he feared I was going to punch him in the face if he acted on his urges. In the past, I definitely would have, but not now. No, I had been waiting for this moment my whole life.

I grabbed the collar of his jacket and slowly pulled him close, acting like I was about to kiss him, but I stopped just short of his lips and gazed into his eyes, challenging him to finish it. His hand was shaking a little as it brushed against my face, and I could tell he was really nervous, but he took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and gently placed his lips over mine. The kiss was soft and sweet, everything it should have been. When we parted, we both looked away, blushing like crazy. I buried my face into his chest, and he ran his fingers through my hair, twisting my auburn locks around his finger.

"I knew you liked me," he said, and I didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking.

I wanted to smack him. "Shut up."

He started laughing and then pulled away. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" he asked. "I think I still have your food dish, actually."

This time, I actually raised my hand to slap him, but he suddenly caught it in midair and placed a kiss upon my knuckles. Then he closed his hand around mine and started leading me toward his house.

_Oh, he's such a ... _I started to think, but then he turned around and smiled that perfect smile that made my knees buckle, and I forgot all the insults I could have thought.

When we entered the house, Kiba asked his mother, "Can Ikuko stay for dinner?" Then he stopped and smiled mischievously. "Say, Mom, Ikuko will be needing a place to stay for a while ..."

She caught on right away. "Don't even think about it."

"Why not? After all, she is a member of the Inuzuka family now, isn't that right?" He shot me a quick wink, urging me to play along.

"That's right," I agreed, joining right in. "You did say that."

She shook her head back and forth so much I thought she was going to give herself whiplash. "No—No—No, that was different. She was a dog then—and—No, definitely not going to happen. No way."

Kiba placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me down the hallway with him. "Come on, Ikuko, I'll show you to your room."

His mother started frantically chasing after us. "No! Don't even ... Kiba, don't even think about it! – She is not sleeping in your room! ... Kiba! ... _Ikuko!_ ... KIBA!"

THE END

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><p><strong>Well, that's it! I'm going to be completely honest and say that I'm not too happy with this ending, but I've had a really hard time focusing on this story lately. My mind is just busy with other story ideas. I'm really sorry ... but I hoped you enjoyed the story regardless. <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


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